Georgia personal care home and assisted living community rules: what you must document about each resident

Who these rules cover

Georgia has two licensing categories for residential senior care, both regulated by the Department of Community Health's Healthcare Facility Regulation Division:

• Personal care homes (PCHs), Chapter 111-8-62.
• Assisted living communities (ALCs), Chapter 111-8-63.

Either type that serves people with probable Alzheimer's disease or other dementia, and holds itself out as offering specialized care or charges more for it, must meet the certified memory care center requirements (111-8-62-.19 and 111-8-63-.19). The two chapters use nearly identical wording on assessment and care plans, with one key difference covered below.

Before and at admission

An ALC must document an interview with the applicant or their representative "regarding the applicant's care and social needs", plus a physical exam dated within 30 days before admission on the Department's form.³ Personal care homes have a parallel interview and 30-day physical requirement.⁶

Then comes the needs assessment:

"The assisted living community must complete an assessment of the resident that addresses the resident's care needs taking into account the resident's family supports, the resident's functional capacity relative to the activities of daily living, physical care needs, medical information provided, cognitive and behavioral impairments, if any, and personal preferences relative to care needs."Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-63-.17(2)

The PCH version adds timing: the home completes it "at the time of admission and update as changes occur".⁴

The written care plan: 14 days, with preferences

This is Georgia's core requirement for person-centered documentation. Using what you learned at admission and during "the move-in adjustment period", an ALC must write an individual care plan within 14 days of admission and use it to guide staff. It must include:

• the resident's care and social needs and the services to meet them, with frequency;
• "resident's particular preferences regarding care, activities and interests";
• specific behaviors and the interventions to use;
• orders for assistive devices;
• the staff primarily responsible;
• "evidence of family involvement in the development of the plan when appropriate"; and
• evidence of updates at least annually and when needs change substantially or the resident moves to memory care.¹

The PCH difference: a personal care home must write this 14-day care plan only if it "provides proxy caregivers or memory care". Other PCHs still complete and update the needs assessment, but the written plan is not required by the rule.⁴

Activities

For assisted living communities, the rule ties activities to preferences directly:

"Each assisted living community must provide social activities on a daily basis that promote the physical, mental and social well-being of each resident and take into account the personal preferences of the residents."Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-63-.17(4)

ALCs must also provide books, current newspapers or magazines and games, and help residents take part in hobbies, music, arts and crafts, religion, sports and cultural activities inside and outside the community. Personal care homes must provide "sufficient activities to promote the physical, mental and social well-being of each resident", and must offer a similar set of books, newspapers, games and help with hobbies.⁴

Certified memory care centers: family and personal history

Memory care is where Georgia goes furthest. The care plan is developed with at least one memory care direct-care staff member, with input from every shift, and:

"The resident's family shall participate in the development of the plan, if possible, with incorporation of family and personal history to support a person-centered approach to care. The written care plan must be reviewed at least quarterly and modified as changes in the resident's needs occur."Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-63-.19(1)(g)

The center must offer therapeutic activities at least weekly in five categories, with some every day: gross motor, self-care, social, sensory enhancement and outdoor. The sensory category names "reminiscing" alongside picture books and scent and touch.² The personal care home memory care rule uses the same family and personal history language for its service plan.⁵

What surveyors tend to look for

Going only by what the rules say to document:

• A needs assessment that addresses family supports and personal preferences, not only ADLs.
• A care plan dated within 14 days of admission that states preferences about care, activities and interests.
• Evidence of family involvement, and of annual or change-driven updates.
• In memory care: signatures from the team, input from each shift, family and personal history in the plan, and quarterly reviews.
• Daily social activities, and in memory care, therapeutic activities across the five categories.

Gathering preferences and personal history well

• Use the move-in adjustment period. The rule expects you to learn during the first two weeks. Ask open questions: "Tell me about where you grew up." "What did your mornings used to look like?"
• Bring family in early, and record what they add separately from what the resident says.
• Write down comforts and things to avoid: music, a nickname, a topic that brings grief.
• Turn history into activities. A former gardener, a choir member or a mechanic each points to specific activities.
• Revisit at each review, annually or quarterly in memory care.

How Porchlight can help

Porchlight helps you gather preferences, routines and personal history in the resident's own words. A resident taps one large button on a tablet, a life question is read aloud and shown in large type, and the answer is recorded and transcribed. There are 800+ human-written questions organized by life chapter; any can be skipped, and nothing is scored. Staff can record profile facts, including topics to avoid, and get a "Know Your Resident" briefing and a printable life-story biography. Family get a private page to listen, leave voice replies, and add their own questions and photos. The assessment, care plan and compliance remain your community's responsibility.

Frequently asked questions

Does Georgia require assisted living care plans to include resident preferences?

Yes. An assisted living community's written care plan, due within 14 days of admission, must include the resident's particular preferences regarding care, activities and interests, and evidence of family involvement when appropriate.

Do Georgia personal care homes need a written care plan?

Only if the home provides proxy caregivers or memory care. Those homes must write the care plan within 14 days of admission. All personal care homes must complete a needs assessment at admission and update it as changes occur.

Does Georgia require a life history for memory care residents?

The certified memory care center rules require the family to participate in the care plan, if possible, with incorporation of family and personal history to support a person-centered approach to care. The plan is reviewed at least quarterly.

How often must activities be offered in a Georgia assisted living community?

Social activities must be offered daily and take into account residents' personal preferences. Certified memory care centers must also offer therapeutic activities, with some occurring every day.

How often is a Georgia care plan updated?

At least annually and whenever the resident's needs change substantially. In a certified memory care center the care plan must be reviewed at least quarterly.