(1) All nursing homes must maintain comfortable sound levels, to include minimizing the use of the public address system and taking reasonable precautions with noisy services so residents are not disturbed, particularly during their sleeping time; and

(2) In new construction, the nursing home must:

(a) Have walls, floor/ceiling and roof/ceiling assemblies constructed with materials that provide comfortable sound levels in all resident areas, rated at an STC 50 or greater; and

(b) Utilize an alternative to the public address system for nonemergency communication that best serves the residents' needs.