Residential Healthcare Facilities 2014 Guidelines Revision Project: Issue Briefs

The Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities is used as code in over 40 states by facilities, designers, and authorities for the design and construction of new and renovated health care facilities across the nation. The Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) is responsible for the Guidelines, which are updated on a four-year cycle by a group of volunteers - the Health Guidelines Revision Committee (HGRC). The committee is made up of experts from all sectors of the healthcare industry: doctors, nurses, engineers, architects, designers, facility managers, health care systems, care providers, etc. For further information and/or to view the Guidelines, go to the Facility Guidelines Institute's website at www.fguidelines.org.

The 2010 Guidelines for Design and Construction of Health Care Facilities has launched into the 2014 cycle for revisions. In preparation of the 2014 revision cycle, The Center for Health Design and the Rothschild Foundation teamed together to identify areas for improvement within the Residential Health Care Facility portion of the Guidelines, specifically related to nursing homes. This resulted in a working meeting of long-term care experts that came together to work on proposals for the 2014 Guidelines on topics such as culture change, resident-centered care, alternative care models, utilization of mobility devices, incorporation of wellness centers and programming, improvements to resident rooms and access to nature and outdoor spaces by residents. The work completed by this group has been developed into formal proposals that have been submitted through the FGI website for the 2014 Guidelines.