Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia
Department 111 - RULES OF DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH
Chapter 111-8 - HEALTHCARE FACILITY REGULATION
Subject 111-8-63 - RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITIES
Rule 111-8-63-.09 - Workforce Qualifications, Training and Staffing

Universal Citation: GA Rules and Regs r 111-8-63-.09

Current through Rules and Regulations filed through September 23, 2024

(1) The on-site manager and responsible staff persons must be at least 21 years of age and responsible for supervising the provision of care by all other staff. No staff person under the age of 18 is permitted to work in the assisted living community unless there is direct line-of-sight supervision being provided by the administrator, on-site manager or a responsible staff person or the staff member is at least 17 years of age and has successfully completed a vocational technical training track as a nursing assistant through a Georgia high school.

(2) Initial Training for All Staff. The administrator or on-site manager must ensure that any person working in the assisted living community as staff, receives training within the first 60 days of employment on the following:

(a) residents' rights and identification of conduct constituting abuse, neglect or exploitation of a resident and reporting requirements to include the employee's receipt of a copy of the Long-Term Care Facility Resident Abuse Reporting Act as outlined in O.C.G.A. § 31-8-81 et seq.;

(b) general infection control principles including importance of hand hygiene in all settings and attendance policies when ill;

(c) training necessary to carry out assigned job duties; and

(d) emergency preparedness.

(3) Initial Training for Staff Providing Hands-On Personal Services. In addition to the initial training required of all staff in paragraph (2) above, the administrator must ensure that staff hired to provide hands-on personal services to residents receive training within the first 60 days of employment which includes the following:

(a) current certification in emergency first aid except where the staff person is a currently licensed health care professional;

(b) current certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation where the training course required return demonstration of competency;

(c) medical and social needs and characteristics of the resident population, including special needs of residents with dementia;

(d) residents' rights and the provision of care to residents that is individualized and helpful; and

(e) training specific to assigned job duties, such as, but not limited to, permissible assistance with medications, contraindications for medications that must be brought to the attention of appropriate individuals, assisting residents in transferring, ambulation, proper food preparation, proper performance of health maintenance activities if serving as a designated proxy caregiver and responding appropriately to dementia-related behaviors.

(4) Trained Staff Present. At least two staff who have completed the minimum training requirements of Rule 111-8-63-.09(2)(a) through (d) and (3)(a) through (e) above must be present in the assisted living community at all times any residents are present, with at least one staff person on each occupied floor, to provide necessary oversight and assistance to staff providing hands-on personal services who have not completed the training, to ensure that care and services are delivered safely and in accordance with these rules.

(5) Training Hours Required During First Year of Employment. All staff offering hands-on personal services to the residents, including the administrator or on-site manager, must satisfactorily complete a total of at least twenty-four (24) hours of continuing education within the first year of employment as a direct care worker. The courses offered must be relevant to assigned job duties and include such topics as cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid certifications, utilizing standard precautions in working with aging residents, working with residents with Alzheimer's or other cognitive impairments, working with persons who have developmental disabilities or persons who have mental illness, providing social and recreational activities, understanding legal issues, performing necessary physical maintenance, fire safety, housekeeping activities, recognizing and reporting abuse, neglect and exploitation, preparing and serving food safely, preserving the dignity and rights of residents receiving care to make meaningful choices, providing and documenting medication assistance, or other topics as determined necessary by the Department to support compliance.

(6) Ongoing Staff Training. Beginning with the second year of employment, staff providing hands-on personal services must have a minimum of sixteen (16) hours of job-related continuing education as referenced in paragraph 111-8-63-.09(5) above annually.

(7) Training Records. The community must maintain documentation reflecting course content, instructor qualifications, agenda and attendance rosters for all trainings provided.

(8) Proxy Caregiver Training. An assisted living community employing proxy caregivers must provide training to the proxy caregivers in accordance with the Rules and Regulations for Use of Proxy Caregivers, Chapter 111-8-100 subject to the limitation that only certified medication aides may administer medications on behalf of the community.

(9) Hospice Training. The assisted living community shall ensure that any medication aide(s) who will be administering liquid morphine to any hospice patient(s) residing in the community receive adequate training from a licensed hospice on the safe and proper administration of liquid morphine prior to such administration and on an annual basis thereafter. The community shall maintain documentation of all training provided.

(10) Staff Health Examinations and Screenings. The administrator, on-site manager, and each employee must have received a tuberculosis screening and a physical examination by a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician's assistant within twelve months prior to providing care to the residents. The physical examination must be sufficiently comprehensive to assure that the employee is physically qualified to work and free of diseases communicable within the scope of employment. Follow-up examinations must be conducted by a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician's assistant for each administrator or staff person to determine readiness to return to work following a significant illness or injury. Health information, screenings, assessments and medical releases regarding each staff member must be retained in a readily retrievable format by the assisted living community and made available for review and/or copying by Department representatives upon request.

(11) Criminal History Background Checks for Owners Required. The owner of the business or agency applying for the license must comply with the requirements of the Rules and Regulations for Criminal Background Checks, Chapter 111-8-12.

(12) Criminal History Background Checks for Director, Administrator and Onsite Manager Required. Prior to serving as a director, administrator or onsite manager of an assisted living community, the community must obtain a satisfactory fingerprint records check determination for the person to be hired in compliance with the Rules and Regulations for Criminal Background Checks, Chapter 111-8-12.

(13) Criminal History Background Checks for Direct Access Employees Required. Prior to serving as a direct access employee, the community must obtain a satisfactory fingerprint records check determination for the person to be hired in compliance with the Rules and Regulations for Criminal Background Checks, Chapter 111-8-12.

(14) The administrator or on-site manager must obtain an employment history for each employee and maintain documentation in the employee's file. If the potential employee has no prior employment history, then the assisted living community must retain documentation of a satisfactory personal reference check.

(15) Personnel files must be maintained in the assisted living community for each employee and for three years following the employee's departure or discharge. These files must be available for inspection by departmental staff but must be maintained to protect the confidentiality of the information contained in them from improper disclosure. The files must include the following:

(a) evidence of a satisfactory fingerprint record check determination, if applicable;

(b) report of physical examination completed by a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician's assistant, and a TB screening completed within the 12 months preceding the date of hire;

(c) evidence of trainings, skills competency determinations and recertifications as required by these rules and, if applicable, the Rules for Proxy Caregivers, Chapter 111-8-100;

(d) employment history, including previous places of work, employers and telephone contacts with previous employers;

(e) supporting documentation reflecting that the employee has the basic qualifications as represented, e.g. documentation of good standing by nursing board, no findings of abuse, neglect or exploitation entered against the individual in the nurse aide registry, satisfactory report of motor vehicle driving record where the employee may be transporting residents; and

(f) written evidence of satisfactory initial and annual work performance reviews for unlicensed staff providing hands-on personal care. Where the unlicensed staff perform specialized tasks, such as health maintenance activities, assistance with medications or medication administration, such performance reviews must include the satisfactory completion of skills competency checklists as specified in applicable rules. Such reviews must be conducted by staff or contractors qualified by education, training and experience to assess that the assigned duties are being performed in accordance with these rules and accepted health and safety standards.

(16) Where the assisted living community permits a resident to hire his or her own companion-sitter, proxy caregiver to perform health maintenance activities or aide of any sort, the assisted living community must require assurance that the companion-sitter, proxy caregiver or aide so hired is familiar with emergency evacuation routes and has documentation reflecting compliance with the provisions of the Rules for Proxy Caregivers, Chapter 111-8-100, as applicable.

(17) The administrator, on-site manager, and staff persons must not be under the influence of alcohol or other controlled substances while engaged in any work-related activity on behalf of the assisted living community.

(18) The community must maintain an average monthly minimum on-site staff to resident ratio of one awake direct care staff person per 15 residents during waking hours and one awake direct care staff person per 20 residents during non-waking hours where the residents have minimal care needs. Average monthly minimum staffing levels shall be calculated and documented by the community using methods and forms specified by the department. However, the assisted living community must staff above these minimum on-site staff ratios to meet the specific residents' ongoing health, safety and care needs.

(a) Staff, such as cooks and maintenance staff, who do not receive on-going direct care training and whose job duties do not routinely involve the oversight or delivery of direct personal care to the residents, must not be counted towards these minimum staffing ratios. Personnel who work for another entity, such as a private home care provider, hospice, etc. or private sitters cannot be counted in the staff ratios for the assisted living community.

(b) At least two on-site direct care staff persons must be on the premises 24 hours per day providing supervision whenever residents are present, with at least one staff person on each occupied floor.

(c) A registered professional nurse or licensed practical nurse must be on-site to support care and oversight of the residents, as follows:
(i) For communities with one to 30 residents, a minimum of 8 hours per week;

(ii) For communities with 31 to 60 residents, a minimum of 16 hours per week;

(iii) For communities with 61 to 90 residents, a minimum of 24 hours per week;

(iv) For communities with more than 90 residents, a minimum of 40 hours per week;

(d) Residents must be supervised consistent with their needs.

(19) Sufficient staff time must be provided by the assisted living community such that each resident:

(a) receives services, treatments, medications and diet as prescribed;

(b) receives proper care to prevent decubitus ulcers and contractures;

(c) is kept comfortable and clean;

(d) is treated with dignity, kindness, and consideration and respect;

(e) is protected from avoidable injury and infection;

(f) is given prompt, unhurried assistance if she or he requires help with eating;

(g) is given assistance, if needed, with daily hygiene, including baths and oral care; and

(h) is given assistance in transferring and assisted self-preservation when needed.

(20) All persons, including the administrator or on-site manager, who offer direct care to the residents on behalf of the assisted living community, must maintain an awareness of each resident's normal appearance and must intervene, as appropriate, if a resident's state of health appears to be in jeopardy.

(21) All assisted living communities must develop and maintain accurate staffing plans that take into account the specific needs of the residents and monthly work schedules for all employees, including relief workers, showing planned and actual coverage for each day and night. The assisted living community must retain the completed staff schedules for a minimum of one year.

(22) Staff must wear employee identification badges which are readily visible with abbreviations for professional/special credentials displayed on the badges, if any.

O.C.G.A. §§ 31-2-7, 31-2-8, 31-2-9, 31-7-1 et seq., 43-26-12.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Georgia may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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