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3. Bed rails (now at § 483.25(n)) is the third new subsection. New language requires facilities to use
“appropriate alternatives” before considering bed rails; to review risks and benefits of bed rails with
the resident or resident representative; to “obtain informed consent prior to installation;” to assess
the risk of entrapment prior to installation; to “ensure that the bed’s dimensions are appropriate for
the resident’s size and weight;” and to follow manufacturers’ “recommendations and specifications
for installing and maintaining bed rails.”
These comprehensive protections have not appeared in the regulations before.
Five Subsections Have Been Moved Elsewhere:
■ Activities of daily living (now in Quality of Life, § 483.24(b)).
■ Unnecessary drugs (now in Pharmacy Services, § 483.45(d)).
■ Mental and psychosocial functioning (now in a new regulation on Behavioral Health Services,
§ 483.40(b)).
■ Medication errors (now in Pharmacy Services, § 483.45(d), (f)).
■ Influenza and pneumococcal immunizations (now in Infection Control, § 483.80(d)).
Effective Dates
Most quality of care provisions became effective on November 28, 2016. Provisions related to trauma-
informed care become effective on November 28, 2019.
Finding the Regulations
The quality of care provisions are found at section 483.25 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
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