Memos and Transmittals
Lists current memos and repository for past OLTC memos and transmittals.
Regulations
Resource for long-term care facility regulations.
Forms
Access general OLTC forms and DMS Cost Reimbursement Rules Manual forms.
Minimum staffing for Long Term Care Facilities
Minimum staffing requirements are included in the regulations that pertain to each type of facility. To view them, please go to Regulations, view or download the regulations document for the type of facility that interests you, and navigate to the staffing section.
The Office of Long Term Care has created a Minimum Staffing Calculator for nursing facilities that you can download and install on your computer. To learn more, click the link below.
Process Indicators
The process indicators are a resource to aid facilities in caring for residents. They are intended to shift the focus of facilities from meeting regulatory requirements to identifying and meeting residents' needs for care.
Training and Education
Resources for facility administrators that includes CEU information.
Options Counseling
Resources for facilities for complying with the Options Counseling program, including instructions for on-line submissions.
Licensing a Facility
The Office of Long Term Care licenses long-term care facilities in Arkansas. Facilities licensed by OLTC include nursing homes, residential care facilities, assisted living facilities, intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded, adult day care and adult day health care centers, and post acute head injury facilities.
New facilities require a permit from the Arkansas Health Services Permit Agency. And each long-term care facility must have a license issued by OLTC, which is renewed annually. License renewals and fees are due March 1 each year. Late renewals are subject to penalties.
For licensure information, call one of the following numbers:
- Nursing Homes and ICFs/MR: 501-682-8424
- Assisted Living, Residential Care, Adult Day Care Centers, Adult Day Health Care Centers and Post-Acute Head Retraining Facilities: 501-682-8468
Incident and Accident Report
Use the following forms for a long-term care facility to report an incident or accident to OLTC.
Financial Assistance
To receive Medicaid-funded long-term care facility services and alternative services such as ElderChoices for seniors or TEFRA for children, the applicant must meet medical need criteria and an assets test. A medical needs assessment must be submitted by the physician, documenting why services are necessary, and must be approved by OLTC staff nurses and physicians before payment. An appeals-and-hearing process is in place for persons who are denied services. For more information, call 501-682-8473.
Extensive information about assets and Medicaid eligibility is available from the Division of County Operations.
Nursing Home Administrator Program
Nursing Home Administrators (NHA) are required to be licensed by the State of Arkansas. Minimum qualifications for licensure are:
- An Associate’s Degree or higher from a college or university
- Experience in a nursing home (3 months to 1 year depending on degree)
- Pass a criminal record check
- Work experience or education in the five basic core areas of accounting, management, personnel, writing, and resident care (one three-hour college course per area or eighteen weeks work experience per area)
Once an application has been approved the applicant must pass both the State and the NAB exams.. The State exam is given in Little Rock the third Friday of each month except December. The NAB test, sometimes called the Federal test, is a computer-based test. After the NHA application has been approved by OLTC, the applicant registers for the NAB test via the internet. The applicant must contact the nearest test site and make an appointment to take the test. Please contact OLTC at 501-682-1873 for information regarding application forms and fees. Study materials for the State Exam are available to the applicant on the Internet and offered by OLTC at no cost. The applicant must purchase study materials for the NAB test.
Individuals who do not meet the qualifications for a NHA license may be eligible to enroll in the Arkansas Administrator-in-Training program (AIT) offered by the Arkansas Health Care Foundation (AHCF). The program is designed for individuals who have at least six to seven years work experience in a nursing home but lack a degree, or have a degree but lack the work experience. The AIT curriculum is a 640-hour program consisting of facility-based training under the supervision of a preceptor and classroom courses held in Little Rock. Information about qualifications, applications forms, and fees may be obtained by contacting the Arkansas Health Care Foundation (AHCF) at 501-374-4422 or via email.
Approved CEU Workshops
See upcoming workshops in your area.
Culture Change
Resources for implementing culture change in long-term care facilities.