Current through Rules and Regulations filed through September 23, 2024
(1) All adult day centers shall maintain written personnel policies and procedures which address at least the following:
(a) The hiring, training, and supervising of staff members; and
(b) The use, nature and extent of volunteer services, including a screening procedure to select volunteers with appropriate skills to work with the participants, or otherwise assist the center.
(2) Prior to hiring, the center shall search the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry to determine if an individual is designated in the registry as having abused, neglected or exploited a resident or consumer of a facility.
(a) If the employee or applicant has resided in another state, that state's nurse aide registry shall be searched prior to hiring.
(b) If the individual represents that they are certified or licensed, there shall be evidence in the file of the individual having a current license or certification that is not restricted.
(c) Each center shall search the Georgia Board of Nursing website to determine if a prospective nursing employee has been cited for disciplinary actions.
(d) A center shall not utilize a person to provide services who is listed in the Georgia Nurse Aide Registry, another state's Nurse Aide Registry and/or state licensing/certification boards as having abused, neglected or exploited a resident or consumer of a facility or having their license or certification restricted.
(e) For all staff and volunteer positions, employment and criminal background checks shall be conducted prior to employment. The center shall not employ nor use as volunteers persons with criminal histories which include the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of any disabled or aging adult.
(3)
Training. The Director shall be responsible for ensuring that any person working in the center as an employee or under contract receives work-related training acceptable to the Department within the first ninety (90) days of employment. However, for centers providing services prior to the initial effective date of these rules, the centers shall have until March 1, 2015 to have all such staff who were hired prior to the initial effective date of these rules certified in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The center shall ensure that at least one staff member who has completed the minimum training requirements be present in the center at all times.
(a) Work-related training for employees shall at a minimum include the following:
(1) Orientation to the rules and regulations contained in this chapter, and to the center's policies and procedures;
(2) Evidence of current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation where the training course required return demonstration of competency;
(3) Training in standard precautions, infection control and latex safety;
(4) Training in identifying participants who may be victims of elder abuse or self-neglect;
(5) Training in participants' rights including the prevention and reporting of suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation;
(6) Training in protecting the confidentiality of participant information and records;
(7) Training on the nature of influenza and the role of vaccination in controlling its spread to those persons having direct participant contact;
(8) Training in diversity and cultural sensitivity;
(9) Training on Alzheimer's disease and other dementias including communicating and responding to behaviors; and
(10) Medication training for the unlicensed staff that are providing assistance with or supervision of self-administration of medications to capable participants. The medication training must be conducted with an appropriate curriculum for providing medication assistance and include at least the following topics:
i. The center's medication policy and procedures, including actions to take if concerns regarding participant's capacity to self-administer medications are identified;
ii. How to read prescription labels including common abbreviations;
iii. Providing the right medication to the right participant at the right time in the right amount and the right way including how to measure various medications;
iv. Actions to take when concerns regarding medications are identified;
v. Infection control procedures relative to providing assistance with medications;
vi. Proper medication storage and disposal;
vii. Recognition of side effects and adverse reactions for the specific medications;
viii. Understanding the common classifications of medications, typical side effects and adverse reactions and medications for which unlicensed staff may never provide assistance with or supervision of self-administration; and
ix. Proper documentation and record keeping using the Medication Assistance Record.
(b)
Adult Day Health Centers. In addition to the training requirements above in 3(a), centers that provide adult day health services shall provide training on the laws governing administration of prescribed medications.
(c)
Volunteers. The Director is responsible for ensuring that all volunteers receive training in accordance with the services they provide in the center. At a minimum, all volunteers shall receive training in the following:
(1) Identifying abuse, neglect and exploitation and the applicable reporting requirements; and
(2) Participant rights.
(4)
Staff Records. Each center shall maintain personnel records for each employee and volunteer who provides direct care to participants. Each employee shall have access to his/her personnel record. Individual personnel records on all staff members shall contain at least the following:
(a) A complete application for employment or volunteer services;
(b) References, which may be documented as oral references or letters of reference;
(c) Copy of current license or certificate, as required for the position, including a valid driver's license for persons providing transportation services;
(d) Staff development records, to include, but not limited to evidence of current certification in CPR and first aid as well as evidence of training for staff; and
(e) Evidence of having conducted background screenings as required by these rules in regards to the staff member or volunteer.
(5)
Health Requirements. All staff and volunteers who provide direct care to participants shall have received a report of physical examination by an authorized healthcare professional within twelve months prior to employment, sufficiently comprehensive to include at least the following:
(a) Documentation that the employee/volunteer is free of signs and symptoms of communicable diseases; and
(b) Evidence that all staff/volunteers are free of active tuberculosis based upon the results of a negative tuberculin skin test or chest x-ray within twelve months prior to employment.
(6)
Education/License Requirements.
(a) The adult day center shall employ staff qualified by training or experience to perform all aspects of the position for which they are hired.
(b)
Adult Day Health Centers. In addition to the above, adult day health centers shall ensure the following:
1. Directors shall have a bachelor's degree or at least four years experience in a health or human services or related field and shall have demonstrated ability to perform all aspects of the position;
2. Nurses shall have a current Georgia license to practice as a nurse; and
All contract professionals, i.e. social workers or occupational, physical, or speech therapists, shall be licensed or certified, as required by law.
O.C.G.A. §
49-6-81.
