Licensing and Accreditation Requirements

For a facility to be licensed as a nursing home they have to submit an application for licensure at least thirty days prior to any admissions to the facility. The application must include the name of the facility that will be presented to the public, legally identity of the applicant with mailing address, location and address of facility, ownership disclosure, accreditation data, bed complement, scope of services offered, current license of the administrator and the current license of the director of nursing (DFS, 2006). Each facility will only be issued one license. The facility will receive the license following the review of all policies and procedures and verification of compliance with all laws and rules. The facility must have their license posted in a prominent place in the facility in plain view of the public and the license is valid for 12 months from date of receipt, unless there is a change of ownership, site, and bed complement, or if the Department imposes an administrative sanction for license expiration(DFS).

Every nursing home must be under the supervision of an administrator, which holds a license as a nursing home administrator. The administrator can only be over one building unless there are two building on the same premises and have the same owner. The nursing home must operate in accordance with the policies that are approved by the Department.

The North Carolina Division of Facility Services employee staff members under the Licensure and Certification Section whose main responsibility is to make sure that the homes are safe and patients receive adequate health care. These "inspectors rely on state and federal laws/rules to conduct their inspections" (Division of Facility Services [DFS], 2006).

The inspection activities receive their funding through federal and state money with Medicaid/Medicare funding being the largest source for the funds. In addition to inspections the Licensing and Certification Section gives the license for facilities to participate in the Medicare/Medicaid programs. They work with the providers, advocates, consumers and many others in making sure all training is complete and done according to the laws and rules of the Division.

Administrator Requirements

In order for an individual to become a health care administrator in NC, they must first meet a set of standards that are set by the "NC State Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators. The main purpose of the board is to make sure that all administrators are licensed according to the rules and regulation set by North Carolina General Statute, Chapter 90, Medicine and Allied Occupations; Article 20; Nursing Home Administration Act" (North Carolina State Board of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators, n.d.).

Individuals must complete at minimal a two-year bachelors degree in Health Care Administration and have the proper training before a license can be issued. The applicant must complete an AIT (administrator in training) program under the supervision of a licensed and certified preceptor administrator. All applicants have to follow all standards that are developed, imposed, and enforced by the Board. The Board is responsible for making sure individuals have the proper training and experience prior to receiving their license.

Accreditation

One of the important Accreditations that a nursing home can receive is the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). This is the oldest and largest healthcare accrediting body. JCAHO's focus is on maintaining state-of-the-art, performance-based standards. JCAHO is responsible for accrediting more than 15,000 healthcare entities, including long-term care facilities. JCAHO has set the standard for health care entities to achieve. Healthcare organizations