Nursing Home Design Guide
2006
4. Applicability to Nursing Homes with
space for safe staff assistance,
In-Room Showers
preferably located near to his/her
living space.
Shower fixture requirements usually
Showers in bathing suites can
refer to buildings equipped with resident
provide space not readily available in
toilet rooms without showers and may
resident bathrooms. These showers
be relaxed when functionally accessible
should accommodate larger width
showers are provided in individual
shower chairs, individuals requiring
resident bathrooms.
leg extensions on wheelchairs, and
5. Lift Use
supine showering such as for spinal
cord injury patients. (See Figure
Due to staff injuries and the operational
3.12)
costs of such injuries and absences, the
prevalence of mechanical lift use is
increasing. As of 2004, OSHA had
legislation pending, which project
sponsors should verify, that may
establish additional criteria for lift use
and/or design. In addition to
government websites, refer to sites
maintained by professional
organizations for Long Term Care such
as AAHSA.org and AHCA.org and the
references for this chapter.
3.3.3 Design Considerations
Figure 3.12
1. Fixtures and Space for Use
Open Shower in Bathing Suite
A basic bathing suite includes the
NY State Veterans Home at Montrose, NY.
following:
In addition to bathing, some tubs
Assisted shower for use while
may be used for comfort, agitation
seated, standing or in a supine
reduction, and vestibular stimulation
position
provided through options such as
Tub designed for lift use
bubbling from water jets.
Lift(s) designed for a specific tub and
used for transport
3. Fixtures per Nursing Care Unit
Functionally accessible toilet and
Bathing requirements are set forth in
sink
regulations in terms of fixtures such as
Space necessary for staff and
the shower head(s) or tubs rather than
residents' movements in transfer
the rooms per number of residents.
Clean linen, soiled linen, trash and
Regulations set minimum guidelines of
storage
one fixture for each 16 to 20 people. A
Accommodations for individual
room may have more than one fixture
personal care items.
providing a choice of features.
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