COMAR 10.07.14 — Assisted Living Programs

Proposed Course Length: 8–10 instructional hours
Delivery: Self-paced online/LMS
Jurisdiction: Maryland
Regulatory Authority: Maryland Department of Health (MDH), Office of Health Care Quality (OHCQ)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course provides assisted living professionals with practical instruction on the regulatory requirements governing Maryland Assisted Living Programs under COMAR 10.07.14.

The course is designed to help learners understand not only what Maryland requires, but how those requirements affect everyday assisted-living operations.

Learners will examine licensing, administration, staffing, resident assessment, service planning, medication management, resident rights, safety, emergency preparedness, documentation, reporting, surveys, deficiencies, and other major compliance responsibilities.

The course will use compliance exercises and knowledge checks.

**Important distinction: This is a COMAR compliance education course. It is not being represented as the OHCQ-approved 80-hour Assisted Living Manager training program. OHCQ has a separate approval process for vendors offering that program.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The course is appropriate for assisted living managers and alternate managers, owners/operators, supervisory personnel, delegating nurses/case managers, direct-care staff, administrative personnel, and other professionals responsible for Maryland assisted-living compliance.

OVERALL LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion, learners should be able to:

1. Explain the purpose and scope of COMAR 10.07.14.
2. Identify the roles of MDH and OHCQ in regulating Maryland Assisted Living Programs.
3. Distinguish Maryland's three assisted-living levels of care and recognize limitations imposed by an ALP's licensed level.
4. Explain major licensing and administrative requirements.
5. Identify responsibilities of assisted living managers and other personnel.
6. Apply staffing and personnel requirements to common operational situations.
7. Explain preadmission, assessment, reassessment, and service-plan requirements.
8. Recognize requirements governing resident agreements and financial matters.
9. Apply medication-management requirements appropriately.
10. Protect resident rights, dignity, privacy, independence, and choice.
11. Recognize and appropriately respond to suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, and other reportable incidents.
12. Identify environmental, infection-control, emergency-preparedness, and life-safety requirements.
13. Recognize documentation and reporting obligations.
14. Prepare for OHCQ surveys and respond appropriately to deficiencies.
15. Apply COMAR requirements to realistic assisted-living compliance situations.

COURSE MODULES

Module 1: Maryland Assisted Living & COMAR 10.07.14 Fundamentals — purpose, scope, definitions, OHCQ authority, levels of care, and licensing.

Module 2: Administration, Licensing & Manager Responsibilities — ALM/AALM responsibilities, required policies, records, notifications, and regulatory oversight. We should specifically incorporate the ALM licensure requirements now effective July 1, 2026.

Module 3: Staffing & Personnel Compliance — staffing plans, qualifications, background checks, training, awake overnight staffing where applicable, documentation, and personnel records.

Module 4: Resident Admission, Assessment & Service Planning — admission requirements, assessments, levels of care, service plans, reassessments, and resident participation.

Module 5: Resident Care & Clinical Services — nursing oversight, health services, ADLs, nutrition, special care needs, and coordination of care.

Module 6: Medication Management — medication administration, storage, documentation, medication technicians, delegating nurse responsibilities, errors, and related compliance.

Module 7: Resident Rights & Protections — dignity, privacy, choice, abuse/neglect, exploitation, involuntary seclusion, grievances, representatives, financial protections, relocation, and discharge. The revised regulations specifically expanded protections involving financial exploitation and representative payees.

Module 8: Safety, Environment & Emergency Preparedness — fire/life safety, emergency plans, infection prevention, environmental requirements, incident response, and required reporting.

Module 9: Specialized Programs & Higher-Risk Compliance Areas — Alzheimer's Special Care Units, restraints, hospice residents, behavior management, and other areas likely to create regulatory risk.

Module 10: OHCQ Surveys, Deficiencies & Maintaining Compliance — inspections, documentation, reporting obligations, responding to deficiencies, corrective actions, and building a continuous compliance program.