The Florida Senate

400.021  Definitions.--When used in this part, unless the context otherwise requires, the term:

(1)  "Administrator" means the licensed individual who has the general administrative charge of a facility.

(2)  "Agency" means the Agency for Health Care Administration, which is the licensing agency under this part.

(3)  "Bed reservation policy" means the number of consecutive days and the number of days per year that a resident may leave the nursing home facility for overnight therapeutic visits with family or friends or for hospitalization for an acute condition before the licensee may discharge the resident due to his or her absence from the facility.

(4)  "Board" means the Board of Nursing Home Administrators.

(5)  "Custodial service" means care for a person which entails observation of diet and sleeping habits and maintenance of a watchfulness over the general health, safety, and well-being of the aged or infirm.

(6)  "Department" means the Department of Children and Family Services.

(7)  "Facility" means any institution, building, residence, private home, or other place, whether operated for profit or not, including a place operated by a county or municipality, which undertakes through its ownership or management to provide for a period exceeding 24-hour nursing care, personal care, or custodial care for three or more persons not related to the owner or manager by blood or marriage, who by reason of illness, physical infirmity, or advanced age require such services, but does not include any place providing care and treatment primarily for the acutely ill. A facility offering services for fewer than three persons is within the meaning of this definition if it holds itself out to the public to be an establishment which regularly provides such services.

(8)  "Geriatric outpatient clinic" means a site for providing outpatient health care to persons 60 years of age or older, which is staffed by a registered nurse or a physician assistant.

(9)  "Geriatric patient" means any patient who is 60 years of age or older.

(10)  "Local ombudsman council" means a local long-term care ombudsman council established pursuant to s. 400.0069, located within the Older Americans Act planning and service areas.

(11)  "Nursing home bed" means an accommodation which is ready for immediate occupancy, or is capable of being made ready for occupancy within 48 hours, excluding provision of staffing; and which conforms to minimum space requirements, including the availability of appropriate equipment and furnishings within the 48 hours, as specified by rule of the agency, for the provision of services specified in this part to a single resident.

(12)  "Nursing home facility" means any facility which provides nursing services as defined in part I of chapter 464 and which is licensed according to this part.

(13)  "Nursing service" means such services or acts as may be rendered, directly or indirectly, to and in behalf of a person by individuals as defined in s. 464.003

(14)  "Planning and service area" means the geographic area in which the Older Americans Act programs are administered and services are delivered by the Department of Elderly Affairs.

(15)  "Respite care" means admission to a nursing home for the purpose of providing a short period of rest or relief or emergency alternative care for the primary caregiver of an individual receiving care at home who, without home-based care, would otherwise require institutional care.

(16)  "Resident care plan" means a written plan developed, maintained, and reviewed not less than quarterly by a registered nurse, with participation from other facility staff and the resident or his or her designee or legal representative, which includes a comprehensive assessment of the needs of an individual resident; the type and frequency of services required to provide the necessary care for the resident to attain or maintain the highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being; a listing of services provided within or outside the facility to meet those needs; and an explanation of service goals. The resident care plan must be signed by the director of nursing or another registered nurse employed by the facility to whom institutional responsibilities have been delegated and by the resident, the resident's designee, or the resident's legal representative. The facility may not use an agency or temporary registered nurse to satisfy the foregoing requirement and must document the institutional responsibilities that have been delegated to the registered nurse.

(17)  "Resident designee" means a person, other than the owner, administrator, or employee of the facility, designated in writing by a resident or a resident's guardian, if the resident is adjudicated incompetent, to be the resident's representative for a specific, limited purpose.

(18)  "State ombudsman council" means the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Council established pursuant to s. 400.0067

History.--s. 2, ch. 69-309; ss. 19, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 2, ch. 70-361; s. 1, ch. 70-439; ss. 21, 25, ch. 75-233; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 234, ch. 77-147; s. 1, ch. 77-457; ss. 1, 18, ch. 80-186; ss. 1, 12, ch. 80-198; s. 249, ch. 81-259; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 4, 79, 83, ch. 83-181; s. 1, ch. 90-330; ss. 20, 30, ch. 93-177; ss. 2, 49, ch. 93-217; s. 763, ch. 95-148; s. 117, ch. 99-8; s. 94, ch. 2000-318; s. 136, ch. 2000-349; s. 1, ch. 2000-350; s. 56, ch. 2000-367; s. 2, ch. 2001-45; s. 3, ch. 2004-298; s. 55, ch. 2007-230.