{"data":{"id":"us-dc/d.c.-code-44-107.01","jurisdiction":"us-dc","citation":"D.C. Code § 44-107.01","heading":"Staffing standards.","body":"(a)\nAn ALR shall be supervised by an ALA who shall be responsible for all personnel and services within the ALR.\n\n(b)\nThe ALA shall ensure that each resident has access to appropriate medical, rehabilitation, and psychosocial services as established in the ISP and that there is appropriate oversight, monitoring, and coordination of all components of the ISP, including necessary transportation and the delivery of needed supplies.\n\n(c)\n(1)\nAn ALA shall be at least 21 years of age.\n(2)\nAn ALA shall possess at least a high school diploma or general  equivalency diploma (“G.E.D.”) or have served as an operator or administrator  of a licensed community residence facility (“CRF”) in the District of Columbia  for at least one of the past 3 years in which the CRF has met minimum legal  standards. An ALA employed on or after June 24, 2000 shall have at least a  high school diploma or G.E.D. and have served as a direct care provider or  administrator for at least one of the past three years.\n(3)\nAn ALA shall possess satisfactory knowledge of the following:\n(A)\nThe philosophy of assisted living;\n(B)\nThe health and psychosocial needs of residents;\n(C)\nThe resident assessment process;\n(D)\nThe development and use of ISPs;\n(E)\nMedication administration, including cuing, coaching, and monitoring residents who self-administer medications, with or without assistance;\n(F)\nThe provision of assistance with activities of daily living and personal hygiene;\n(G)\nResidents’ rights;\n(H)\nFire and life safety codes;\n(I)\nInfection control, including standard precautions to prevent infection;\n(J)\nFood safety and sanitation;\n(K)\nFirst aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR);\n(L)\nEmergency disaster plans;\n(M)\nHuman resource management, including staff employment, orientation and training, employee rights and protection against discrimination, harassment, and wrongful discharge; and\n(N)\nFinancial management.\n\n(d)\nAn ALA shall:\n(1)\nEmploy staff and develop a staffing plan in accordance with this chapter  and based upon the following criteria to assure the safety and proper care of  residents in the ALR:\n(A)\nThe health, mental condition, and psychosocial needs of the residents;\n(B)\nThe fulfillment of the 24-hours-a-day scheduled and unscheduled needs of the residents;\n(C)\nThe size and layout of the ALR;\n(D)\nThe capabilities and training of the employees; and\n(E)\nCompliance with all of the minimum standards in this chapter;\n(2)\nAssure that sufficient staff who know how to implement the ALR’s  evacuation plan and emergency management plan are on the premises at all times  to implement emergency procedures;\n(3)\nAssure that each person employed by the ALR maintains personal  cleanliness and hygiene;\n(4)\nDevelop written job descriptions for staff who are responsible for  providing personal services to residents and provide a copy of the job  description to the employee;\n(5)\nAssign duties to each staff member consistent with his or her level of  education, preparation, and experience;\n(6)\nAssure that there is at least one staff member within the ALR at all times who is certified in first-aid and CPR;\n(7)\nAssure that all members of the staff are mentally and physically capable  of performing their assigned duties;\n(8)\nAssure that each employee has a background check pursuant to federal and District law executed at the time of initial employment;\n(9)\nAssure that members of the staff appear to be free from apparent signs  and symptoms of communicable disease, as documented by a written statement  from a healthcare practitioner;\n(10)\nRemove from duty any staff member who is found to have, or is suspected  of having, a communicable disease or is mentally or physically incapable of  performing her or his duties until the ALA determines that such impairment no  longer exists;\n(11)\nMaintain personnel records for each employee that include documentation  of criminal background checks, statements of health status, and documentation  of the employee’s communicable disease status;\n(12)\nAssure that, during periods of temporary absence of the ALA when residents are on the premises, a staff member who is at least 18 years of age  and meets the staffing standards of the ALA required by this section shall  assume responsibilities of the ALA; and\n(13)\nComplete the training required by § 44-107.02 and 12 additional hours of  training, annually, conducted by a nationally recognized organization that possesses experience in training staff in dementia care, such as the  Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association, on managing residents  who are living with cognitive impairments.\n\n(e)\nNewly hired staff shall have 30 days to document their communicable disease status. For the purposes of this subsection, “newly hired staff” means any individual who is hired by an ALR regardless of the individual’s previous work experience. An employee who is transferring from one ALR to another ALR that is under the same management or ownership, without break in service, shall not be considered newly hired staff.\n\n(f)\nEmployees shall be required on an annual basis to document freedom from tuberculosis in a communicable form.\n\n(g)\nThe staff shall:\n(1)\nBe at least 21 years of age;\n(2)\nPossess current and appropriate licensure and certifications as required by law;\n(3)\nPossess sufficient skills, education, training, and experience to meet the needs of the residents;\n(4)\nSubject to their assigned duties and responsibilities, possess a satisfactory knowledge of the resident assessment process, use of ISPs, resident health and psychosocial needs, and resident rights;\n(5)\nComplete initial and ongoing training pertaining to the philosophy of  care in ALRs and meeting the personal care needs of residents; and\n(6)\nNot work unsupervised without satisfactory completion of the training  required by § 44-107.02.\n\n(h)\nStaff who have not completed the training required by § 44-107.02 must work at all times under the supervision of a staff member who has satisfactorily completed this training.\n\n(i)\nFor the purposes of subsection (g)(5) of this section “ongoing training” means a regularly scheduled program of staff training designed by the ALR to assure that all staff who have direct resident contact possess the skills necessary to provide high quality services in a manner appropriate to the philosophy of assisted living and includes staff training in how to monitor changes in a resident’s condition, including physical and cognitive assessments.","path":["Title 44. Charitable and Curative Institutions.","Chapter 1. Assisted Living Residence Regulation.","Subchapter VII. Staffing and Training."],"source_url":"https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/44-107.01","current_through":"2026-08-20 (D.C. Law 26-175)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-29T05:44:07Z","sha256":"fdfea41b5d973e5322768e5fabe6beba9449e4fea1a0c15c6efdb04ed44d4652","source_id":"us-dc","stale":false,"prev":"us-dc/d.c.-code-44-106.08","next":"us-dc/d.c.-code-44-107.02"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}