Effective March 30: New APR and decision rules for assisted living communities, behavior health care and human services and nursing care centers
Effective March 30, 2025, a new Accreditation Participation Requirement (APR) requires Joint Commission-accredited assisted living communities, behavioral health care and human services organizations, and nursing care centers to meet the minimum requirements necessary for quality and/or safety, as determined by the sole discretion of The Joint Commission. Failure to meet this requirement may trigger a new decision rule, resulting in an immediate denial of accreditation (DA).
Examples of situations that may result in denial of accreditation include providing care, treatment, or services in a manner unfit to meet the basic needs of patients, residents, or individuals served or pervasive patterns of patient rights violations that have not been addressed by leadership through analysis and implementation of sustainable actions.
The new element of performance (EP) in the APR chapter is underlined below.
Standard APR.09.04.01: The organization provides care, treatment, services, and an environment that pose no risk of an “Immediate Threat to Health or Safety.”
Element of Performance 2 for APR.09.04.01: As determined by the sole discretion of The Joint Commission, the organization provides care, treatment, services, and/or a safe environment that meets minimal accreditation requirements of quality and/or safety of individuals served and/or staff.
The new decision rules are:
DA13 — For Organizations Seeking Initial Accreditation
DA08 — For Organizations Seeking Reaccreditation
The new requirement and decision rules will publish online in the spring interim 2025 E-dition® update to the manuals for assisted living communities, behavioral health care and human services, and nursing care centers.
For more information, please contact The Joint Commission’s Department of Standards and Survey Methods.