Nursing home life safety codes, standards and requirements are very complex. This section is here to help you understand current regulations, interpretations and updates to code requirements.

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CMS Allows Use of Power Strips in Resident Rooms 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is permitting a categorical waiver to allow for use of power strips in resident care areas that use line-operated, patient-care-related electrical equipment in both new and existing healthcare facilities if the provider is in compliance with applicable 2012 Life Safety Code (LSC) power strip requirements and with the 1999 NFPA 99 and 2000 LSC electrical system and equipment provisions. 

September is National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is urging individuals and communities to take action by planning a National PrepareAthon Day on or around September 30. 

Nursing Homes: How to Apply for Extension to the Sprinkler Deadline

Nursing homes requesting an extension to the August 13, 2013, deadline for full installation of an automatic sprinkler system should follow the newly posted Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) procedures, which implement the May 12, 2014, final rule allowing extensions of up to 2 years for providers that are building a replacement facility or undergoing major modifications to unsprinklered living areas. 

Nursing Homes: CMS Allows Extensions to Sprinkler Deadline 

On May 12, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a final rule that includes provisions allowing for a temporary, time-limited extension of the long term care facility sprinkler deadline.

Physical Environment and LSC Citations in Nursing Homes Clarified by CMS

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued a Survey and Certification Letter clarifying that nursing homes previously determined out of compliance with 42 CFR §483.70 Physical Environment; Life Safety from Fire (F-Tag 454) should be more appropriately cited under the Life Safety Code Requirements. To avoid duplication and redundancy, and to assure more accurate deficiency citations, CMS has deleted F-Tag 454 from its Automated Survey Processing Environment (ASPEN) system.