(1) A representative of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program shall conduct, at least annually, an onsite administrative assessment of each nursing home, assisted living facility, and adult family-care home. This administrative assessment must be comprehensive in nature, must be resident-centered, and must focus on factors affecting residents’ rights, health, safety, and welfare. Each local council is encouraged to conduct a similar onsite administrative assessment of each additional long-term care facility within its jurisdiction.

(2) An onsite administrative assessment conducted by a local council shall be subject to the following conditions:

(a) To the extent possible and reasonable, the administrative assessment may not duplicate the efforts of surveys and inspections of long-term care facilities conducted by state agencies.

(b) An administrative assessment shall be conducted at a time and for a duration necessary to produce the information required to complete the assessment.

(c) Advance notice of an administrative assessment may not be provided to a long-term care facility, except that notice of followup assessments on specific problems may be provided.

(d) A representative of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program present for the administrative assessment must identify himself or herself to the administrator of the facility or his or her designee.

(e) An administrative assessment may not unreasonably interfere with the programs and activities of residents.

(f) A representative of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program may not enter a single-family residential unit within a long-term care facility during an administrative assessment without the permission of the resident or the representative of the resident.

(g) An administrative assessment must be conducted in a manner that does not impose an unreasonable burden on a long-term care facility.

(h) Upon completion of an administrative assessment, the local council shall conduct an exit consultation with the facility administrator or a designee representing the facility to discuss issues and concerns in areas affecting residents’ rights, health, safety, and welfare and, if needed, make recommendations for improvement.

(3) Regardless of jurisdiction, the state ombudsman may authorize a state or local council member to assist another local council to perform the administrative assessments described in this section.

(4) An onsite administrative assessment may not be accomplished by forcible entry. However, if a representative of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is not allowed to enter a long-term care facility, the administrator of the facility shall be considered to have interfered with a representative of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program in the performance of official duties as described in s. 400.0083(1) and to have committed a violation of this part. The representative of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program shall report the refusal by a facility to allow entry to the state ombudsman or his or her designee, who shall report the incident to the agency, and the agency shall record the report and take it into consideration when determining actions allowable under s. 400.102, s. 400.121, s. 429.14, s. 429.19, s. 429.69, or s. 429.71.

(5) The department, in consultation with the state ombudsman, may adopt rules implementing procedures for conducting onsite administrative assessments of long-term care facilities.

History.—s. 11, ch. 2006-121; s. 77, ch. 2007-5; s. 54, ch. 2007-230; s. 10, ch. 2015-31; s. 2, ch. 2015-126.