Section 481.58.8. Administrator.

         58.8(1) Each nursing facility shall have one person in charge, duly licensed as a nursing home administrator or acting in a provisional capacity. (III)

         58.8(2) A licensed administrator may act as an administrator for not more than two nursing facilities.

            a.               The distance between the two facilities shall be no greater than 50 miles. (II)

            b.               The administrator shall spend the equivalent of three full eight-hour days per week in each facility. (II)

            c.               The administrator may be responsible for no more than 150 beds in total if the administrator is an administrator of more than one facility. (II)

         58.8(3) The licensee may be the licensed nursing home administrator providing the licensee meets the requirements as set forth in these regulations and devotes the required time to administrative duties. Residency in the facility does not in itself meet the requirement. (III)

         58.8(4) A provisional administrator may be appointed on a temporary basis by the nursing facility licensee to assume the administrative duties when the facility, through no fault of its own, has lost its administrator and has been unable to replace the administrator.

            a.               No facility licensed under Iowa Code chapter 135C shall be permitted to have a provisional administrator for more than 12 consecutive months.

            b.               The facility shall notify the department in writing within ten business days of the administrator’s appointment. The written notice shall include the estimated time frame for the appointment of the provisional administrator and the reason for the appointment of a provisional administrator. (III)

            c.               The provisional administrator’s appointment must be approved by the board of examiners for nursing home administrators. The approval shall be confirmed in writing to the department. (III)

         58.8(5) In the absence of the administrator, a responsible person shall be designated in writing to the department to be in charge of the facility. The administrator shall not be absent from the facility for more than 3 months without approval of the department. (III)

The person designated shall:

            a.               Be knowledgeable of the operation of the facility; (III)

            b.               Have access to records concerned with the operation of the facility; (III)

            c.               Be capable of carrying out administrative duties and of assuming administrative responsibilities; (III)

            d.               Be at least 21 years of age; (III)

            e.               Be empowered to act on behalf of the licensee during the administrator’s absence concerning the health, safety, and welfare of the residents; (III)

            f.                Have had training to carry out assignments and take care of emergencies and sudden illness of residents. (III)

         58.8(6) A licensed administrator in charge of two facilities shall employ an individual designated as a full-time assistant administrator for each facility. (III)

         58.8(7) An administrator of only one facility shall be considered as a full-time employee. Full-time employment is defined as 40 hours per week. (III)

[ARC 1398C, IAB 4/2/14, effective 5/7/14; ARC 2020C, IAB 6/10/15, effective 7/15/15]