Rhode Island
Rhode Island has no separate board-and-care license. Residences giving personal assistance, lodging and meals to six or more unrelated adults must be licensed as assisted living residences by RIDOH. Each residence is licensed at a fire-safety level (F1: residents not capable of self-preservation; F2: capable) and a medication level (M1: central storage/administration; M2: help with self-administration only), with added dementia-care and limited-health-services licenses where they apply.
License categories
Assisted living residences
Key laws
R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 23-17.4
Assisted Living Residence Licensing Act — official text
216-RICR-40-10-2
Licensing Assisted Living Residences — official text
216-RICR-40-05-18
Assisted Living Residence Administrators
Key requirements
- Licensure is triggered at six or more unrelated adults (R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17.4-2).
- The administrator must hold a RIDOH license (R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17.4-21.1). One administrator may oversee up to three residences with no more than 120 residents in total, and someone with CPR certification must be on site at all times (216-RICR-40-10-2.4.13).
- All staff need at least 2 hours of orientation within 10 days of hire. Direct care staff need 10 more hours within 30 days, and in-service training must be repeated at least every 12 months (216-RICR-40-10-2.4.12).
- Dementia care units must be licensed F1-M1 (216-RICR-40-10-2.4.2).
- Residents must get written notice of their rights, 30 days' notice of fee increases, and discharge only for specified reasons (216-RICR-40-10-2.4.18).