Securing doors is nothing new to the long-term care industry. Memory care units are more abundant than ever as elopement concerns are a consistent issue for nearly all providers. Nursing homes that participate in Medicare and Medicaid are bound by the provisions of the 2012 edition of the Life Safety Code® (LSC) in regards to egress, access and security. Fortunately, the LSC does provide provisions for locking certain doors in the means of egress when it is accomplished for the “clinical needs” of the resident. However, this provision is generally not intended to permit doors to be locked throughout the entire facility. While the door locking code provisions have been around for many years, the interpretations by various Authorities Having Jurisdiction can and do change. Members are encouraged to review this two-page refresher on
door locking provisions and review their arrangement against the code provisions to ensure compliance.