Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024
A. The home
health aide shall be a qualified person who provides direct patient care and/or
housekeeping duties in the home or homelike setting under the direct
supervision of a registered nurse. The home health aide competency evaluation
is to be completed by a registered nurse prior to the home health aide being
assigned to provide patient care.
B. The home health aide shall:
1. have a current nursing assistant
certification and have successfully completed a competency evaluation;
or
2. have successfully completed a
training program and have successfully completed a competency evaluation;
or
3. have successfully completed a
competency evaluation; and
4.
exhibit maturity, an empathetic, sympathetic attitude, and ability to deal
effectively with the demands of the job;
5. have the ability to read, write, and carry
out directions, promptly and accurately; and
6. when employed by more than one agency,
inform all employers and coordinate duties to assure highest quality when
providing services to the patents.
C. The home health aide shall provide
services established and delegated in POC, record and notify the primary
registered nurse of deviations according to standard practice including, but
not limited to:
1. performing simple one-step
wound care if written documentation of in-service for that specific procedure
is in the aide's personnel record. All procedures performed by the aide must be
in compliance with current standards of nursing practice;
2. providing assistance with mobility,
transferring, walking, grooming, bathing, dressing or undressing, eating,
toileting, and/or housekeeping needs. Some examples of assistance include:
a. helping the patient with a bath, care of
the mouth, skin and hair;
b.
helping the patient to the bathroom or in using a bed pan or urinal;
c. helping the patient to dress and/or
undress;
d. helping the patient in
and out of bed, assisting with ambulating;
e. helping the patient with prescribed
exercises which the patient and home health aide have been taught by
appropriate personnel; and
f.
performing such incidental household services essential to the patient's health
care at home that are necessary to prevent or postpone
institutionalization.
D. The home health aide shall document each
visit made to the patient and incorporate notes into the clinical record within
one week of the visit.
E. The home
health aide shall not:
1. perform any
intravenous procedures, procedures involving the use of Levine tubes or Foley
catheters, suctioning, or any other sterile or invasive procedures, other than
rectal temperatures or enemas;
2.
administer medications to any patient.
F. The home health aide shall attend an
initial orientation. The orientation and training curricula for home health
aides shall be detailed in a policies and procedures manual maintained by the
CRCC agency. Provision of orientation and training shall be documented in the
employee personnel record. The content of the basic orientation provided to
home health aides shall include:
1. policies
and objectives of the agency;
2.
duties and responsibilities of a home health aide;
3. the role of the home health aide as a
member of the health care team;
4.
emotional problems associated with life-limiting illnesses;
5. information on the stages of childhood
development;
6. information on
terminal care, stages of death and dying, and grief;
7. principles and practices of maintaining a
clean, healthy and safe environment;
8. ethics; and
9. confidentiality.
G. Home health aide initial training shall
include the following areas of instruction:
1. assisting patients to achieve optimal
activities of daily living;
2.
documentation;
3. procedures for
maintaining a clean healthful environment; and
4. changes in the patient's condition to be
reported to the supervisor.
H. The home health aide must have a minimum
of 12 hours of appropriate in-service training annually. In-service training
may be prorated for employees working a portion of the year. However, part-time
employees who worked throughout the year must attend all 12 hours of in-service
training. In-services may be furnished while the aide is providing services to
the patient, but must be documented as training.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
Promulgated in accordance with
R.S.
40:2175.14(B).
