Assisted Living Requirements in Michigan

Michigan assisted living requirements break facilities into two types: Homes for the aged and adult foster care facilities. Homes for the aged provide personal care, supervision and protection, while adult foster care facilities also deal with medication management and other medical needs for residents who do not require continuous care. While there are no federal regulations directly concerning assisted living facilities in Michigan, they must comply with laws regarding Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement of personal care services.

Assessments and Medical Care

• Michigan requires all assisted living facilities to assess incoming residents' needs and medical issues and create a plan addressing how the home will meet those needs. This plan can include personal activities, housekeeping and other related services. While there is no standard form, the state department of health services provides examples for facilities to go by.

Room and Bathroom Requirements

• Single-person rooms must be at least 80 square feet in size, and in multi-person units, the bedrooms must provide at least 65 square feet of room per resident for a total of no more than four residents in facilities falling under the Homes for the Aged classification. For Homes for the Aged, there must also be one bathroom facility for every eight residents on a floor, and bathing for every 15. Adult Foster Care homes must have one bathroom for every eight residents and one shower or tub per floor with bedrooms.

  All facilities must meet local and state construction codes for use by elderly residents and may also fall under requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act that include installation of specialized bathrooms and wheelchair ramps.

Alzheimer's Care and Staffing

• Facilities may provide services to patients suffering from various degrees of dementia but are required to have a written description of their plans for handling such patients, including criteria for transfers, how the facility has been designed for ease of use by Alzheimer's patients and any specific activities for these patients outside of normal scheduling.

  Administrators must have at least one year of experience working with aged residents for Adult Foster care homes, and staff must be trained in First Aid, CPR and other related tasks for both facilities prior to caring for residents.