3722.011 Administering medication to residents.

All medication taken by residents of an adult care facility shall be self-administered, except that medication may be administered to a resident by a home health agency, hospice care program, nursing home staff, mental health agency, or board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services under division (B) of section 3722.16 of the Revised Code. Members of the staff of an adult care facility shall not administer medication to residents. No person shall be admitted to or retained by an adult care facility unless the person is capable of taking the person’s own medication and biologicals, as determined in writing by the person’s personal physician, except that a person may be admitted to or retained by such a facility if the person’s medication is administered by a home health agency, hospice care program, nursing home staff, mental health agency, or board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services under division (B) of section 3722.16 of the Revised Code. Members of the staff of an adult care facility may do any of the following:

(A) Remind a resident when to take medication and watch to ensure that the resident follows the directions on the container;

(B) Assist a resident in the self-administration of medication by taking the medication from the locked area where it is stored, in accordance with rules adopted by the public health council pursuant to this chapter, and handing it to the resident. If the resident is physically unable to open the container, a staff member may open the container for the resident.

(C) Assist a physically impaired but mentally alert resident, such as a resident with arthritis, cerebral palsy, or Parkinson’s disease, in removing oral or topical medication from containers and in consuming or applying the medication, upon request by or with the consent of the resident. If a resident is physically unable to place a dose of medicine to the resident’s mouth without spilling it, a staff member may place the dose in a container and place the container to the mouth of the resident.

Effective Date: 09-29-1999