(a) A full-service
hospice agency may provide home health aide services. If the agency provides
home health aide services, those services must be provided
(1) by a nurse aide with a current
certification under
AS
08.68.331;
(2) in accordance with the plan of care;
and
(3) in accordance with written
instructions
(A) prepared by a registered
nurse providing services under
7 AAC 12.331; and
(B) that specify each task to be completed
during a home visit.
(b) A nurse aide employed by the agency shall
(1) follow the current plan of
care;
(2) perform simple procedures
as an extension of therapy services;
(3) provide personal care, including bathing,
hair care, oral hygiene, skin care, and hand and foot care;
(4) assist the client with ambulating and
exercise;
(5) assist with the
client's meal preparation or feeding;
(6) assist with client-administered
nonprescription and prescription medications by handing the client the
medication bottle, or the medication that was prepared under the supervision of
a physician, a registered nurse, or an advanced practice registered
nurse;
(7) report changes in the
client's condition and needs;
(8)
complete appropriate records; and
(9) take and record vital signs.
(c) A registered nurse providing
services under
7 AAC 12.331 shall make a supervisory visit to each
client's residence at least once every two weeks, either to observe and assist
when the nurse aide is present, or to assess relationships and determine
whether goals identified in the plan of care are being met. The registered
nurse shall directly observe the in-home performance of each nurse aide at
least once each month. The agency shall maintain sufficient documentation to
demonstrate that a nurse aide is evaluated for competency in
(1) communication;
(2) observation, reporting, and documentation
of the client care provided;
(3)
maintenance of a clean, safe, and healthy environment;
(4) provision of basic infection control
procedures;
(5) knowledge of basic
nutrition and fluid intake, including food preparation techniques as
appropriate;
(6) reading and
recording temperature, pulse, and respiration;
(7) knowledge and observation of basic
elements of body functioning and changes in body functioning that must be
reported to the nurse aide's supervisor;
(8) recognition of emergencies and knowledge
of emergency procedures;
(9)
recognition of the physical, emotional, and developmental needs of, and ways to
work with, clients served by the hospice, including respect for the client and
the client's family, the client's privacy, and the client's property;
(10) use of appropriate and safe techniques
for the client's personal hygiene and grooming, including
(A) a bed bath, sponge bath, tub bath, or
shower bath;
(B) sink, tub, or bed
shampooing;
(C) nail and skin
care;
(D) oral hygiene;
and
(E) toileting and
elimination;
(11) safe
transfer techniques and ambulation;
(12) normal range of motion and positioning;
and
(13) any other task that the
agency may assign to the nurse aide.
