by Julie Heiberger AIA NCARB LEED AP
This article originally appeared in the September 2024 issue of McKnight’s Senior Living.
Converting a licensure from skilled nursing to another form of care is not for the faint of heart. With vision, planning, and effective communication, however, a team of professionals can expedite a smooth transition. In this article, we’ll share the top 10 tips when converting licensure status.
- Assessing existing conditions. The first step in transitioning a skilled nursing facility to another licensure type is assessing the existing conditions of the building. It’s crucial to determine whether the current structure can support the new use. One particular concern is related to fire protection elements. For instance, although a community based residential facility, or CBRF, requires smoke detectors connected to a fire alarm panel in each resident-occupied space, SNFs might not have this requirement. Additionally, considerations such as corridor width, window operation, door hardware, resident room size, a resident’s ability to evacuate without assistance, and common space per resident must meet the requisite standards.