West Virginia Code 16-5N-1 – Purpose
It is the policy of this state to encourage and promote the development and utilization of quality residential communities for persons who desire to live independently in an apartment, who are or may be dependent upon the services of others by reason of physical or mental impairment, and who may require limited and intermittent nursing care and who are capable of self-preservation and are not bedfast. Individuals may not be disqualified for residency solely because they qualify for or receive services coordinated by a licensed hospice. This care and treatment requires a living environment for these persons which, to the extent practicable, approximates a normal home environment. To this end, it is the policy of this state to encourage and promote the development and maintenance of residential care communities.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 16-5N-1
- Capable of self-preservation: means that a person is, at a minimum, physically capable of removing himself or herself from situations involving imminent danger such as fire. See West Virginia Code 16-5N-2
- Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
- Limited and intermittent nursing care: means direct hands-on nursing care of a resident who needs no more than two hours of nursing care per day for a period of time no longer than ninety consecutive days per episode, which care may be provided only when the need for it meets these requirements: The resident requests that he or she remain in the residential care community. See West Virginia Code 16-5N-2
- Person: means a natural person and every form of organization, whether incorporated or unincorporated, including partnerships, corporations, trusts, associations and political subdivisions of the state. See West Virginia Code 16-5N-2
- Residential care community: means any group of seventeen or more residential apartments, however named, which are part of a larger independent living community and which are advertised, offered, maintained or operated by an owner or manager, regardless of consideration or the absence thereof, for the express or implied purpose of providing residential accommodations, personal assistance and supervision on a monthly basis to seventeen or more persons who are or may be dependent upon the services of others by reason of physical or mental impairment or who may require limited and intermittent nursing care but who are capable of self-preservation and are not bedfast. See West Virginia Code 16-5N-2
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
The provisions of this article are remedial and shall be liberally construed to effectuate its purposes and intents. This article is intended to apply only to residential communities in which apartments are rented on a month-to-month basis. All residential care community rental contracts shall specify in bold-faced type, under the conspicuous caption "NOTICE TO RESIDENT", that residents of the residential community must be capable of self-preservation, or substantially similar words clearly conveying the same meaning. This article may not be construed to require that any person be required to vacate any property in which that person has an ownership or a leasehold interest, except for a month-to-month tenancy, because that person is disabled and incapable of self-preservation. Nothing in this article is intended to supersede the provisions of article eleven-a, chapter five of this code.