Long-Term Care

CMS heats up nursing home fire safety requirements

Contemporary Long-Term Care Weekly, November 8, 2006

 

CMS issued a final rule for fire safety requirements regarding alcohol-based hand rubs and smoke alarms in nursing homes November 1. Effective October 23, 2006, nursing homes must maintain alcohol-based hand rub dispensers according to manufacturer guidelines to ensure that the dispensers don't leak or spill, a CMS memorandum stated. In addition, the term smoke alarm replaced the term smoke detector in the final regulation. For a facility to make certain its smoke alarms are functioning, it is required to have a program in its policies and procedures for inspecting, testing, maintenance, and battery replacement that follows the manufacturer's guidelines, according to CMS.

 

Click here to read CMS' final rule. http://www.hcpro.com/content/63944.cfm

 

 

 

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