Rule 3701-17-21 | Dining and recreation rooms; utility rooms; toilet rooms.
(A) Every building occupied as a nursing home on and in continuous operation since December 22, 1964 will have not less than one room or suitable area which which is used for no other purposes than dining and recreation by the residents. Such room or area will be located and of such size as to meet the needs of the residents and is not authorized to be used for adult day care participants or residential care facility residents unless the home meets the square footage provisions of paragraph (B) of this rule. Any building occupied as a nursing home on December 22, 1964, that is discontinued for such use and then use of the building is resumed will comply with paragraph (C) of this rule.
(B) Every building erected or converted to use as a nursing home after and in continuous operation since December 22, 1964, and before July 17, 2002, will have a room or suitable area which will be used for no other purposes than dining and recreation. The dining and recreation room or area will have a minimum total area of twenty-five square feet per resident for seventy-five per cent of the nursing home's licensed capacity. Any building licensed by the state as a nursing home on or after December 22, 1964, that is discontinued for such use and then use of the building is resumed is obligated to, comply with paragraph (C) of this rule. Any building licensed by the state as a nursing home who builds an addition or expands into previously unlicensed space will comply with paragraph (C) of this rule.
Each nursing home that shares the dining and recreation room or area with participants of an adult day-care program, residents of a residential care facility, or both, will provide an additional twenty-five square feet per participant, resident, or both, for seventy-five per cent of the total number of adult day-care program participants, the licensed capacity of the residential care facility, or both.
(C) Every building erected or converted to use as a nursing home after July 17, 2002, will have a room or suitable area or areas for dining purposes and a separate room or rooms, or suitable area or areas to be used for recreational purposes. A nursing home may use the dining room or area for recreational purposes when the room or area is not being used for dining, but does not count towards the needed square footage listed in this paragraph.
(1) Dining room or area: Twenty-five square feet per resident for the nursing home's licensed capacity.
Each nursing home that shares the dining room or area with participants of an adult day-care program, residents of a residential care facility, or both, will provide an additional twenty-five square feet per participant, resident, or both, for the total number of adult day-care program participants, the licensed capacity of the residential care facility, or both.
(2) Recreational room or area: Twenty-five square feet per resident for seventy-five per cent of the nursing home's licensed capacity.
Each nursing home that shares the recreation room or area with participants of an adult day-care program, residents of a residential care facility, or both, will provide an additional twenty-five square feet per participant, resident, or both, for seventy-five per cent of the total number of adult day-care program participants, the licensed capacity of the residential care facility, or both.
(D) Every nursing home will employ methods and have adequate facilities and supplies for clean and soiled laundry in accordance with prevailing infection control practices.
(E) Bathrooms and toilet rooms will conform to the Ohio building code.
(F) Bathrooms and all fixtures therein will ensure resident privacy and dignity in accordance with paragraph (I) of rule 3701-17-14 of the Administrative Code.
(G) Bathrooms, toilet rooms and all the facilities therein will, at all times, be kept in good repair, in a clean and sanitary condition, free from filth and accumulation of waste, and provide a supply of toilet tissue. Each hand washing basin will be provided with a soap dispenser. Bathrooms and toilet rooms will be designed or equipped to assure full visual privacy for each resident.
(H) Grab rails and other safety devices such as non-slip surfaces will be provided and maintained in good repair.
(I) In every building or addition to a building constructed or converted to use as a nursing home on or after the effective date of this rule, each resident room will have a toilet room directly accessible from each resident sleeping room, except the hand washing basin may be located in either the room containing the toilet or the sleeping room. Toilet rooms are not to be shared between rooms.
(J) For purposes of this rule, "bathroom" means a room or rooms conforming to the Ohio building code containing a group of fixtures consisting of a water closet, lavatory, bathtub or shower, including or excluding a bidet, an emergency floor drain, or both.
Last updated July 17, 2025 at 7:57 AM
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