In response to the state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the department adopted emergency rules under RCW 34.05.350 on April 13, 2020, to amend and suspend portions of WAC 388-97-0300. The emergency rules remained in effect until May 10, 2021. The following rule was in effect during that time:

(1) The nursing home must:

(a) Provide resident care based on a systematic, comprehensive, interdisciplinary assessment, and care planning process in which the resident participates, to the fullest extent possible;

(b) Conduct initially and periodically a comprehensive, accurate, standardized, reproducible assessment of each resident's functional capacity;

(c) As soon as practicable after each resident is admitted:

(i) Have physician's orders for the resident's immediate care; and

(ii) Ensure that the resident's immediate care needs are identified in an admission assessment.

(d) Ensure that the comprehensive assessment of a resident's needs describes the resident's capability to perform daily life functions and significant impairments in functional capacity.

(2) The comprehensive assessment must include at least the following information:

(a) Identification and demographic information;

(b) Customary routine;

(c) Cognitive patterns;

(d) Communication;

(e) Vision;

(f) Mood and behavior patterns;

(g) Psychosocial well-being;

(h) Physical functioning and structural problems;

(i) Continence;

(j) Disease diagnosis and health conditions;

(k) Dental and nutritional status;

(l) Skin conditions;

(m) Activity pursuit;

(n) Medications;

(o) Special treatments and procedures;

(p) Discharge potential;

(q) Documentation of summary information regarding the assessment performed; and

(r) Documentation of participation in assessment.

(3) The nursing home must ensure that:

(a) As appropriate, the resident's assessment is revised to assure the continued accuracy of the assessment; and

(b) The results of the assessment are used to develop, review, and revise the resident's comprehensive plan of care under WAC 388-97-1020.

(4) The skilled nursing facility and nursing facility must:

(a) For the required assessment, complete the state approved resident assessment instrument (RAI) for each resident in accordance with federal requirements;

(b) Maintain electronic or paper copies of completed resident assessments in the resident's active medical record for 15 months; this information must be maintained in a centralized location and be easily and readily accessible;

(c) Place the hard copies of the signature pages in the clinical record of each resident if a facility maintains their RAI data electronically and does not use electronic signatures;

(d) Transmit all state and federally required RAI information for each resident to the department in a manner and time period approved by the department.