Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 18, September 24, 2024
A. General: No
agency licensed pursuant to these regulations may employ an individual as a
homemaker/personal care attendant or equivalent on a full-time, part time,
temporary, per diem or other basis unless:
(1)
That individual is competent to provide assigned tasks as a homemaker/ personal
care attendant or equivalent.
(2)
That individual has completed a training program or a competency evaluation
program as outlined in these regulations.
B. Source of training: Any agency licensed
pursuant to these regulations may provide training under the following
conditions:
(1) The agency must submit, in
writing, its intent to conduct homemaker/personal care attendant or equivalent
training and the source of training material. Approval of the curriculum must
be obtained from the licensing authority prior to instituting
training.
(2) Agencies electing not
to provide formal training must identify the method by which they will
establish the competency of homemaker/personal care attendant or equivalent and
document that each is determined to be competent.
(3) The licensing authority may deny a home
health agency the right to conduct homemaker/personal care attendant or
equivalent training or competency evaluation, for a specified period of time,
not to exceed two years, if the licensing authority finds the agency in
substantial noncompliance with these regulations.
C. Course requirements: The home health
agency's homemaker/personal care attendant or equivalent training program must
consist of no less than 40 hours of training, to be completed by the
homemaker/personal care attendant or equivalent in the first year of
employment. Ten hours of training must be completed prior to placing the
homemaker/personal care employee in a patient/client home. Two of the 10 hours
may include agency orientation. Eight of the 10 hours training must be
patient/client service specific. The training must address, at a minimum, the
following areas:
(1) communication
skills;
(2) patient/client rights,
including respect for cultural diversity;
(3) recording of information for
patient/client records;
(4)
nutrition and meal preparation;
(5)
housekeeping skills;
(6) care of
the ill and disabled, including the special needs populations;
(7) emergency response (including CPR and
first aid);
(8) basic infection
control;
(9) home safety.
D. Instructor personnel:
(1) The training of homemaker/personal care
attendant or equivalent must be performed by or under the direction of a
licensed professional or an appropriately qualified person.
(2) Other pertinent personnel from the health
professions may also be utilized as supplemental instructors.
E. Documentation of training or
competency evaluation:
(1) All agencies which
provide homemaker/ personal care attendant or equivalent training courses or
competency evaluations must document such training or competency evaluation for
each individual taking the training or competency evaluation. The training or
competency evaluation must be observed and documented by a licensed
professional or an appropriately qualified person.
(2) Documentation must include at least the
following information:
(a) Training:
(i) name of individual taking
training;
(ii) title, purpose, and
objectives of class;
(iii) name of
instructor;
(iv) number of hours of
instruction;
(v) date instruction
was given.
(b)
Competency:
(i) name of individual being
evaluated for competency;
(ii) date
and method used to determine competency.
(3) Annual in-service training: Each
homemaker/ personal care attendant or equivalent shall participate in at least
10 documented hours of in-service training during each 12-month
period.
