Vermont nursing home responsiveness requirements

All alleged mistreatment, neglect, exploitation or abuse — including injuries of unknown source and misappropriation of resident property — must be reported immediately to the facility administrator, to the licensing agency (DLP), and to Adult Protective Services under 33 V.S.A. Chapter 69, with the investigation results also reported to the administrator and the licensing agency.

The facility must ensure that all alleged violations involving mistreatment, neglect, exploitation, or abuse, including injuries of unknown source and misappropriation of resident property, are reported immediately to the administrator of the facility and the licensing agency, and to Adult Protective Services in accordance with 33 V.S.A. Chapter 69.

A Vermont nursing home must provide or arrange physician services 24 hours a day for emergencies, and must ensure another physician covers a resident's medical care whenever the attending physician is unavailable.

Availability of physicians for emergency care. The facility must provide or arrange for the provision of physician services twenty-four (24) hours a day in case of emergency.

The facility must staff licensed nurses and other nursing personnel on a 24-hour basis, designate a licensed charge nurse on every tour of duty, use an RN at least 8 consecutive hours a day 7 days a week with a full-time RN director of nursing, and deliver at least 3 hours of direct care per resident per day on a weekly average (at least 2 of which must be LNA-level care).

The facility must use the services of a registered nurse for at least eight (8) consecutive hours a day, seven (7) days a week.

A resident may associate and communicate privately with people of his or her choice, and must be assured reasonable access to a telephone located in a quiet area where a private conversation is possible.

Residents shall be assured reasonable access to a telephone located in a quiet area where the resident can conduct a private conversation.

The facility must keep detailed written emergency and disaster plans approved by the Vermont Department of Public Safety and must train all staff on them with annual plan review, quarterly fire drills on all shifts, unannounced drills and written drill records — but the Vermont rule contains no express emergency communication plan or current-emergency-contact-list requirement, so this is only a partial analog.

The facility must have detailed written plans and procedures, approved by the Department of Public Safety, to meet all potential emergencies and disasters, such as fire, severe weather, and missing residents.

The nurses' station must be equipped to receive resident calls through a communication system from resident rooms and from toilet and bathing facilities.

The nurses' station must be equipped to receive resident calls through a communication system from: a. resident rooms; and b. toilet and bathing facilities.