Medicaid Eligibility Changes Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act - Effective 10/1/26
Posted on: Aug 17, 2026
Listed in:
Reimbursement
Focus on Florida
Focus on Florida
The Tables
Posted on: Aug 11, 2026
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Life Safety
The Florida Building Code (FBC) was first adopted in March of 2002, and skilled nursing centers were designed and approved based on the FBC’s requirements from that time forward. Providers in centers designed before the adoption of the FBC should look at “The Tables” to locate many of their facility’s requirements.
More Than One Releasing Operation
Posted on: Aug 04, 2026
Listed in:
Life Safety
The 2012 Edition of the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code has many requirements for the installation and operation of doorknobs, panic hardware, and other latch release mechanisms.
Furniture Requirements in the ALF
Posted on: Jul 21, 2026
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Assisted Living
This post addresses furniture requirements for the resident rooms in an assisted living facility. It is explained in 59A-36.014, F.A.C that all facilities must give the residents the option of using their own belongings as space permits. When the facility supplies the furnishings, each resident bedroom or sleeping area has a set of furnishing requirements that must be met.
FBC 9th Edition and FGI Code Adoption
Posted on: Jul 21, 2026
Listed in:
Life Safety
Any skilled nursing facility provider who has plans for new construction, or the addition of new beds, will want to note that the deadline to submit designs for approval under the current Florida Building Code (FBC) and FGI Guidelines is quickly approaching.
Non-PCREE Testing
Posted on: Jul 13, 2026
Listed in:
Life Safety
A previous post reviewed the definition of “patient-care related electrical equipment” to better determine what electrical equipment in a skilled nursing facility required annual electrical testing. This post addresses equipment that is NOT used for diagnostic, therapeutic, or monitoring purposes, but IS used within a location intended for the examination and treatment of patients.
K Tag 921
Posted on: Jul 07, 2026
Listed in:
Life Safety
When determining what equipment is required by K Tag 921 to have the annual electrical safety inspections, it is important to note the definition in NFPA 99 for “patient care related electrical equipment” (PCREE).
Kitchen K-Type Fire Extinguisher Travel Distance
Posted on: Jun 29, 2026
Listed in:
Life Safety
Another requirement related to a skilled nursing facility’s kitchen extinguishing equipment is the K-Type fire extinguisher. This special type of fire extinguisher has a travel distance requirement similar to an ABC fire extinguisher, but its maximum travel distance is much less than 75 feet.
Early In-Person and Supervised Voting for Residents
Posted on: Jun 29, 2026
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Legislative
Many residents enjoy going to the polls to cast their votes. Early in-person voting is an excellent way to preserve voter privacy and ensure that any questions the residents may have are answered accurately by trained poll workers.
Kitchen Hood When in Use
Posted on: Jun 23, 2026
Listed in:
Life Safety
K-Tag 324 includes several requirements related to kitchen hoods, but one of the simplest ways to stay compliant is ensuring dietary staff understand when the hood must be used.
Emergency Lighting - 3 to 5 Weeks
Posted on: Jun 15, 2026
Listed in:
Life Safety
The requirement to test emergency lighting with battery backup is well known amongst skilled nursing facility providers; monthly for 30 seconds and annually for 90 minutes.
Inspector’s Test Pipe
Posted on: Jun 10, 2026
Listed in:
Life Safety
The requirement from NFPA 13 for the installation of a fire sprinkler system is technical, but compliance is demonstrated in a readily noticeable way if providers know where to look.