The 2018 edition of the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Residential Health, Care, and Support Facilities restructured the previous edition for clarity, and—based on needs in the residential long-term care marketplace—guidance for additional facility types was added. As with the previous edition, the document covers nursing homes, hospice facilities, assisted living facilities, independent living settings, adult day care and adult day health care facilities, wellness centers, and outpatient rehabilitation therapy facilities.

This edition continues moving away from institutional models to foster development of person-centered living environments that support a variety of care models and add to quality of life for residents. The goal is to help care organizations and designers create homelike physical environments that support positive resident outcomes. Included are a new section on post-acute care facilities and new chapters on substance abuse treatment facilities and settings for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

Facility types covered in the Residential Guidelines include nursing homes, hospice facilities, assisted living settings, independent living settings, long-term residential substance abuse treatment facilities, settings for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, adult day care and adult day health care facilities, wellness centers, and outpatient rehabilitation therapy facilities.

The 2022 edition of the Residential Guidelines features a user-friendly restructuring that presents elements common to most facility types in one location—Chapter 2.1, Common Elements. Revisions that appear in this chapter include new design criteria for individuals receiving palliative care, expanded accommodations for telemedicine services, and changes to room size for individuals of size. Facility-specific requirements are listed in subsequent chapters, and updates include a minimum square footage for resident rooms in nursing homes, clarification of assisted living care model descriptions and requirements, and expanded requirements for facilities serving individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170: Ventilation of Health Care Facilities has been incorporated into the 2022 Residential Guidelines to provide ventilation requirements for nursing homes and hospice facilities. The 2022 edition of the Guidelines for Design and Construction of Residential Health, Care, and Support Facilities includes the 2021 edition of Standard 170 dated November 2021, which incorporates addenda c and d. A new ventilation table with design parameters specific to nursing homes, hospice facilities, and assisted living settings has been added.