South Carolina

Residential assisted living licensing rules and official state resources

Licensure term: Community Residential Care Facilities (CRCF)
Resident capacity: No max listed
Staff ratios: 1. In each building, there shall be at least one staff member/direct care volunteer for each eight
Cost of licensing: $10 per bed or $75 whichever is greater
Bedroom square footage: 1. Rooms for only one resident: 100 square feet;
Memory care: Alzheimer’s Special Care Unit or Program. A facility or area within a facility providing a secure, special program or unit for residents with a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer’s disease and/or related dementia to prevent or limit access by a resident outside the designated or separated areas, and that advertises, markets, or otherwise promotes the facility as providing specialized care/services for persons with Alzheimer’s disease and/or related dementia or both.

Full requirements

Regulatory Agency: South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
Contact Phone Number: (803) 545-4370
Licensure Term(s): Community Residential Care Facilities (CRCF)
Census Requirements: No max listed
Qualifications for Managers: Administrator (II). A. The facility administrator shall be licensed as a CRCF administrator in accordance with 1976 Code Section 44-7-260.
Qualifications for Caregivers: Inservice Training (I). A. Documentation of all inservice training shall be signed and dated by both the individual providing the training and the individual receiving the training. The following training shall be provided by appropriate resources, e.g., licensed/registered/certified persons, books, electronic media, etc., to all staff members/direct care volunteers and private sitters in the context of their job duties and responsibilities, prior to resident contact and at a frequency determined by the facility, but at least annually unless otherwise specified by certificate, e.g., cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR): 1. Basic first-aid to include emergency procedures as well as procedures to manage/care for minor accidents or injuries; 2. Procedures for checking and recording vital signs (for designated staff members only); 3. Management/care of persons with contagious and/or communicable disease, e.g., hepatitis, tuberculosis, HIV infection; 4. Medication management including storage, administration, receiving orders, securing medications, interactions, and adverse reactions;
Qualifications for Caregivers (continued): 5. Depending on the type of residents, care of persons specific to the physical/mental condition being cared for in the facility, e.g., dementia; cognitive disability; mental illness; or aggressive, violent, and/or inappropriate behavioral symptoms etc., to include communication techniques (cueing and mirroring), understanding and coping with behaviors, safety, activities, etc. 6. Use of restraint techniques; 7. OSHA standards regarding blood-borne pathogens; 8. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation for designated staff members/direct care volunteers to ensure that there is a certified staff member/direct care volunteer present whenever residents are in the facility; 9. Confidentiality of resident information and records; 10. Bill of Rights for Long-Term Care Facilities per 1976 Code Section 44-81-10, et seq.;
Staff Ratios: 1. In each building, there shall be at least one staff member/direct care volunteer for each eight (8) residents or fraction thereof on duty during all periods of peak hours. 2. In each building, during non-peak hours, there shall be at least one staff member/volunteer on duty for each thirty (30) residents or fraction thereof. A staff member/volunteer shall be awake and dressed at all times. Staff member(s)/volunteer(s) shall be able to appropriately respond to resident needs during non-peak hours.
Cost of Licensing: $10 per bed or $75 whichever is greater
Square Footage Requirements: 1. Rooms for only one resident: 100 square feet; 2. Rooms for more than one resident: 80 square feet per resident. C. Resident sleeping rooms shall be of sufficient size to allow three feet between two beds. (II)
Bathrooms Required: 1 bath per 8 residentsLavatories 1 per 6 beds Toilets 1 per 6 beds