Michigan Nursing Home Administrator (NHA) Practice Exam

What happens to the licensed bed capacity if there is a reduction in the number of patient beds?

1. It remains the same

2. It increases automatically

3. It is reduced by the amount of the reduction

4. It is reviewed by the governing body

The correct answer is: It is reduced by the amount of the reduction

The licensed bed capacity of a nursing facility is directly tied to the number of patient beds available for occupancy. When there is a reduction in the number of patient beds, the licensed bed capacity reflects this change. This means that if there are fewer beds available for patients, the official capacity of the facility, as licensed by the governing body, is reduced correspondingly. This adjustment ensures that the facility complies with regulations and that resources are appropriately allocated based on actual occupancy and bed count. While the governing body may review bed capacity changes or consider future licensing capacity under different circumstances, the immediate effect of reducing beds is a direct decrease in licensed capacity by the same number. This maintains accurate reporting and compliance with licensing requirements.