The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meaning, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
(1) Abuse--
(2) Accreditation commission--Has the meaning given in Texas Health and Safety Code §247.032.
(3) Actual harm--A negative outcome that compromises a resident's physical, mental, or emotional well-being.
(4) Advance directive--Has the meaning given in Texas Health and Safety Code §166.002.
(5) Affiliate--With respect to:
(6) Alzheimer's Assisted Living Disclosure Statement form--The HHSC-prescribed form a facility uses to describe the nature of care or treatment of residents with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.
(7) Alzheimer's disease and related disorders--Alzheimer's disease and any other irreversible dementia described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), or the most current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
(8) Alzheimer's facility--A Type B facility that is certified to provide specialized services to residents with Alzheimer's disease or a related condition.
(9) Applicant--A person applying for a license to operate an assisted living facility under Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 247.
(10) Assisted Living Facility Memory Care Disclosure Statement form--The HHSC-prescribed form that a facility uses when the facility advertises, markets, or otherwise promotes that it provides memory care services to residents with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.
(11) Attendant--A facility employee who provides direct care to residents. This employee may serve other functions, including cook, janitor, porter, maid, laundry worker, security personnel, bookkeeper, activity director, and manager.
(12) Authorized electronic monitoring (AEM)--The placement of an electronic monitoring device in a resident's room and using the device to make tapes or recordings after making a request to the facility to allow electronic monitoring.
(13) Behavioral emergency--Has the meaning given in §553.261(g)(2) of this chapter (relating to Coordination of Care).
(14) Certified ombudsman--Has the meaning given in §88.2 of this title (relating to Definitions).
(15) CFR--Code of Federal Regulations.
(16) Change of ownership--An event that results in a change to the federal taxpayer identification number of the license holder of a facility. The substitution of a personal representative for a deceased license holder is not a change of ownership.
(17) Commingles--The laundering of apparel or linens of two or more individuals together.
(18) Controlling person--A person with the ability, acting alone or with others, to directly or indirectly influence, direct, or cause the direction of the management, expenditure of money, or policies of a facility or other person. A controlling person includes:
(19) Covert electronic monitoring--The placement and use of an electronic monitoring device that is not open and obvious, and about which the facility and HHSC have not been informed by the resident, by the person who placed the device in the room, or by a person who uses the device.
(20) Delegation--In the assisted living facility context, written authorization by a registered nurse (RN) acting on behalf of the facility for personal care staff to perform tasks of nursing care in selected situations, where delegation criteria are met for the task. The delegation process includes nursing assessment of a resident in a specific situation, evaluation of the ability of the personal care staff, teaching the task to the personal care staff, ensuring supervision of the personal care staff in performing a delegated task, and re-evaluating the task at regular intervals.
(21) Dietitian--A person who currently holds a license or provisional license issued by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
(22) Direct ownership interest--Ownership of equity in the capital, stock, or profits of, or a membership interest in, an applicant or license holder.
(23) Disclosable interest--Five percent or more direct or indirect ownership interest in an applicant or license holder.
(24) Disclosure statement--An HHSC form for prospective residents or their legally authorized representatives that a facility must complete. The form contains information regarding the preadmission, admission, and discharge process; resident assessment and service plans; staffing patterns; the physical environment of the facility; resident activities; and facility services.
(25) Electronic monitoring device--Video surveillance cameras and audio devices installed in a resident's room, designed to acquire communications or other sounds that occur in the room. An electronic, mechanical, or other device used specifically for the nonconsensual interception of wire or electronic communication is excluded from this definition.
(26) Exploitation--
(27) Facility--An entity required to be licensed under the Assisted Living Facility Licensing Act, Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 247.
(28) Fire suppression authority--The paid or volunteer fire-fighting organization or tactical unit that is responsible for fire suppression operations and related duties once a fire incident occurs within its jurisdiction.
(29) Flame spread--The rate of fire travel along the surface of a material. This is different than other requirements for time-rated "burn through" resistance ratings, such as one-hour rated. Flame spread ratings are Class A (0-25), Class B (26-75), and Class C (76-200).
(30) Functional disability--A mental, cognitive, or physical disability that precludes the physical performance of self-care tasks, including health maintenance activities and personal care.
(31) Governmental unit--The state or any county, municipality, or other political subdivision, or any department, division, board, or other agency of any of the foregoing.
(32) Health care professional--An individual licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized to administer health care, for profit or otherwise, in the ordinary course of business or professional practice. The term includes a physician, registered nurse, licensed vocational nurse, licensed dietitian, physical therapist, and occupational therapist.
(33) Health maintenance activity (HMA)--Consistent with 22 TAC §225.4 (relating to Definitions), a task that:
(34) HHSC--The Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
(35) Immediate threat to the health or safety of a resident--A situation that causes, or is likely to cause, serious injury, harm, or impairment to or the death of a resident.
(36) Immediately available--The capacity of facility staff to immediately respond to an emergency after being notified through a communication or alarm system. The staff are to be no more than 600 feet from the farthest resident and in the facility while on duty.
(37) Indirect ownership interest--Any ownership or membership interest in a person that has a direct ownership interest in an applicant or license holder.
(38) Isolated--A very limited number of residents are affected, and a very limited number of staff are involved, or the situation has occurred only occasionally.
(39) Key infectious agents--Bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms which cause the most common infections and infectious diseases in long-term care facilities, and can be mitigated by establishing, implementing, maintaining, and enforcing proper infection, prevention, and control policies and procedures.
(40) Large facility--A facility licensed for 17 or more residents.
(41) Legally authorized representative--A person authorized by law to act on behalf of a person with regard to a matter described in this chapter, and may include a parent, guardian, or managing conservator of a minor, or the guardian of an adult.
(42) License holder--A person that holds a license to operate a facility.
(43) Listed--Equipment, materials, or services included in a list published by an organization concerned with evaluation of products or services, that maintains periodic inspection of production of listed equipment or materials or periodic evaluation of services, and whose listing states that either the equipment, material, or service meets appropriate designated standards or has been tested and found suitable for a specified purpose. The listing organization must be acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction, including HHSC or any other state, federal, or local authority.
Cont'd...