| (a) Services. Nursing facilities must either contain
the elements described in this section or the facility must indicate
the manner in which the needed services are to be made available.
Appropriate modifications or deletions in space requirements may be
made when services are shared or purchased.
(b) Sizes. The sizes of the various departments will
depend upon program requirements and organization of services within
the facility. Some functions requiring separate spaces or rooms in
these minimum requirements may be combined provided that the resulting
plan will not compromise the best standards of safety and of medical
and nursing practices.
(c) Shared or combined services. Nursing facilities
may be operated together with hospitals and may share administration,
food service, recreation, janitor service, and physical therapy facilities,
but must have clearly identifiable physical separations such as a
separate wing or floor. Nursing facilities with different levels of
care will require identifiable physical separations. Combined attendant
or nurses' stations and medication room areas will require some separating
construction features.
(d) Exterior finishes. Unless otherwise approved by
HHSC, the exterior finish material of buildings classified as fire
resistive or protected noncombustible construction, per NFPA 220,
must have a flame spread index no greater than 25 and a smoke developed
index no greater than 450, when tested in accordance with ASTM E84
or UL 723. All other exterior materials must have a flame spread
index no greater than 75 and a smoke developed index no greater than
450. Items of trim may be of combustible material subject to approval
by HHSC. Roof covering assemblies must have a Class A or Class B rating,
when tested in accordance with ASTM E108 or UL 790.
(e) Accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
The facility must comply with accessibility requirements for individuals
with disabilities in the revised regulations for Title II and III
of the Americans with Disabilities Act at CFR Part 35 and Part 36,
also known as the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design and the
TAS adopted by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)
rules at 16 TAC Chapter 68. A facility must register plans for new
construction, substantial renovations, modifications, and alterations
with TDLR, Attn: Elimination of Architectural Barriers Program, and
comply with TAS.
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| Source Note: The provisions of this §554.333 adopted to be effective July 1, 1996, 21 TexReg 4408; amended to be effective March 22, 2018, 43 TexReg 1646; transferred effective January 15, 2021, as published in the Texas Register December 11, 2020, 45 TexReg 8871 |
