(1) The superintendent will review all application materials and determine the applicant's eligibility for admission.

(2) The superintendent will notify the applicant, in writing, of the decision regarding eligibility.

(3) The eligible applicant will be admitted immediately if there is a bed available which:

(a) provides the level of care required by the applicant; and

(b) is appropriate for a person of the applicant's sex.

(4) If there is no bed immediately available, the applicant will be placed on a waiting list for either intermediate care or domiciliary care.

(5) As beds become available, the Montana veterans' home will admit applicants from the waiting list on the basis of the date of notification of eligibility. In general, the earlier the determination of eligibility, the earlier the admission. However, veterans on the waiting lists will be given preference over spouses and surviving spouses.

(6) The superintendent may waive use of the waiting lists

as described in (5) above if:

(a) the location of an available bed requires that the next person admitted be of a particular sex; or

(b) there is an applicant whose current living conditions

require that he or she be admitted immediately.

(7) When two or more applicants have equal priority on the waiting list, the person with the longest documented Montana residence will be admitted first.