NJDOH Proposes Amendments to Requirements for Licensure of Assisted Living Facilities

On April 1, 2024, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) proposed amendments to the licensing standards for Assisted Living Facilities/Residences and Comprehensive Personal Care Homes. The proposed amendments would establish a new procedure by which a facility could apply for “deemed status,” which would consist of the NJDOH’s acknowledgment of a facility’s compliance with licensure standards because the facility holds accreditation from a NJDOH-recognized accreditation organization. The proposal would replace the State’s previous Advanced Standing program, which ended last year, with a new “deemed status” program. Participation in the “deemed status” program would be voluntary and similar to the Advanced Standing Program, in which 150 of the 250 assisted living providers in New Jersey previously participated.

The “deemed status” program would establish a procedure for facilities to establish that a location is accredited by a third-party organization, such as the Joint Commission , and therefore would not have to undergo biennial inspections, although the NJDOH would continue to investigate complaints and conduct inspections prior to initial licensure. According to the NJDOH, the Joint Commission and other reputable agencies would bring a number of benefits to assisted living settings, including quality assurance, accreditation for meeting or exceeding industry-recognized standards, regulatory compliance, continuous improvement, consumer confidence, professional development and peer benchmarking.

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