An Overview of Nebraska’s Assisted Living Regulations

Any senior, family member, or caregiver for someone considering an assisted living facility, it is obviously a smart move to learn about the assisted living regulations for your state, or at least know where to find them for reference.

It’s also smart to know where you can go if you have a question, need to file a complaint, and also to learn definitions, and what you can expect from assisted living care – which is a topic of confusion for many people who are just starting their research (assisted living facilities are often widely confused with nursing homes, or other types of care).

The first thing we’d like to cover here is to identify who (the agency) is responsible for regulating and the oversight of assisted living facilities and homes in Nebraska.

This responsibility belongs to the Office of Long Term Care Facilities, Licensure Unit, Division of Public Health, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Their site looks like this:

This agency, or office, has a good webpage with helpful information about assisted living in Nebraska.

First, they start with a basic definition of assisted living, which is important, since each state defines, and regulates assisted living differently.

This is important, as often times family members are researching care in a different state than they reside in, and since care definitions and rules are different, it’s important not to make assumptions based on your home state’s rules, regulations and definitions.

Additionally, the assisted living facility section for the Office of Long Term Care Facilities has some other helpful pages including:

Applications/Licensure Requirements for Assisted Living
Complaints, and how to file
Contacts information for the department
Disciplinary Actions
Labels and Listings
Food Service Code Book
Rosters for Health Care Facilities & Services

and more.

The roster is a very useful, and long document (over 50 pages) that can be downloaded and saved. It includes every licensed facility in Nebraska, with really helpful data and information about services provided, number of licensed beds, and more.

How To Get A Copy of Nebraska’s Assisted Living Regulations

This part is easy. Simply go to the Secretary of State website, specifically this page:

http://www.leg.state.nv.us/NAC/NAC-449.html#NAC449Sec156

You’ll see that this is another long document, but it’s well organized with a very clear table of contents listing the sections for rules and regulations for assisted living in Nebraska.

Again, you’ll see a section for definitions, which expands on the brief definition on the Office of Long Term Care Facilities page.

You’ll get even more official definitions, including words/phrases like:

Activities of Daily Living
Assisted Living Facility
Chemical Restraint
Licensee
Medication Aide
Schematic Plans

to name a few.

This document covers and outlines other areas of assisted living code and statutes in Nebraska including:

General Requirements (Licensing, Fees and Application)
Inspections
Standards of Operation and Care
Plant Standards
Deal to renew and Disciplinary Actions

and much more.

These documents, sites and resources are not only helpful to families, those they are caring for, and the legion of caregivers in Nebraska, but they are also essential materials for those who are considering opening an assisted living residence in Nebraska.

These materials will give you a clear idea of what’s involved, the process, and where you can go to ask questions, or seek assistance.