Nursing Home Design Guide
2006
residents who do not subscribe to
Facility design aspects that relate to fire
private telephone service.
and life safety include:
Structural fire resistance;
Telephone outlets are typically provided
Building compartmentalization
at each staff work station or in each
Fire detection, alarm and
room.
suppression
Smoke control and exhaust
Wall outlets are 18" [450 mm] AFF and
Firefighting access/facilities
desk outlets are 48" [1200 mm] AFF.
Emergency power
2. Information Systems
New Nursing Home construction and
Information systems needs include
renovation of areas of existing facilities
computer and electrical outlets available
are required to be fully protected by an
at all work stations including
automatic fire suppression system.
decentralized charting locations. Desk
Efforts should be made to balance need
or workstation outlets are 48" [1200 mm]
for such systems while maintaining a
AFF.
residential environment.
3. Nurse Call
The minimum width of corridors in areas
A staff call system is provided for all
used by residents is 96" [2440 mm].
resident rooms, toilet/showers, and
Corridors and passageways that are not
other spaces used by residents.
used by residents may be 44" [1120
Specific needs for call system locations
mm] or wider.
should be coordinated with the
functional design of resident spaces.
Staff stations and areas used by
residents are permitted to be open to
Wireless technologies for staff should be
the corridors in the latest edition of
studied, along with hard wired or
codes from NFPA and UBC.
integrated systems, to meet the needs
of individual facilities.
5. Energy Conservation
4. Television
Energy conservation is emphasized in
all aspects of the building design. Refer
Cable and electrical outlets for television
to the most recent version of ASHRAE
should be provided at each resident bed
Standard 90.1, as well as DOE
area.
regulations.
5. Public Address
1.3.7 Communications
Public address systems are required for
Nursing Home facilities for code
1. Telephone
required fire and life safety
Unless restricted by the program of
communications. The use of a public
services, a telephone should be
address system for regular paging or
available at each resident's bedside. In
staff communications should be avoided
addition, there should be one private
in the Nursing Home facility.
telephone available per resident unit for
Office of Facilities Management
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