FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW HOME HEALTH AIDE REQUIREMENTS

• All home health agency (HHA) staff upon beginning employment must receive basic written information about interacting with participants who have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia-related disorders.  
• All employees hired on or after July 1, 2005 who will be providing direct care to patients must complete 3 hours of training in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia-related disorders within 9 months after beginning employment with the Home Health Agency.
• PEGCO, Inc. has been providing Alzheimer's Disease Programs since 1997.
• DO NOT risk failing survey by not meeting these requirements. Contact PEGCO, Inc. today.
• Call Bill Stacy RN 386-756-4266 or EMAIL us today.

  There is no state licensing or certification of home health aides in Florida. 

   The State of Florida does not have a state-administered test of home health aides.  There is no state law that requires the licensing or certification of home health aides in Florida.  A home health aide may work independently, on their own, in Florida.  If you intend to hire home health aides and have them provide care in persons’ homes or places of residence, you must be licensed as a home health agency or a nurse registry. 

  Home Health Aides Who Were Licensed or Certified In Another State  

  Home health aides who were trained in another state must provide a copy of the course work and a copy of their training documentation, license or certification to the employing home health agency or nurse registry 

  To Work as Home Health Aide at a Home Health Agency

  To work for a Medicare or Medicaid home health agency, a home health aide must complete at least 75 hours of training and/or successfully complete a competency evaluation given by the home health agency.   

  To work in a licensed-only agency the home health aide must complete at least 40 hours of training or successfully complete a competency test given by the home health agency.  Some home health agencies require additional training above these minimum hours. 

  Some home health agencies may hire certified nursing assistants to work as home health aides.  (See information below on certified nursing assistants.)  

  Please note:  these are the minimum requirements.  A home health agency may have its own additional requirements beyond the minimum for home health aides.   

  To Work as Home Health Aide at a Nurse Registry

  To work as a home health aide at a nurse registry, a home health aide must provide documentation of successful completion of at least 40 hours of home health aide training by:

•         a public vocational technical school or

·        a private career education school licensed by the Florida Department of Education or 

·        a home health agency, if the home health aide was formerly employed by that home health agency.   

How to get training as a home health aide

Some local public vocational technical schools and local private career education schools offer the home health aide course. To find a course in your area, call your local public vocational technical school or local private career education schools to ask if they offer a home health aide course.  All private schools must be licensed by the Florida Department of Education.  

Some home health agencies provide training for persons that they employ as home health aides.  Some home health agencies may offer a competency test to persons they employ instead of the training.  Check the classified advertising section of your local newspaper to find out which home health agencies have job openings and training for home health aides.  A home health agency cannot train persons that it will not employ unless operates a school licensed by the Florida Department of Education.  

A nurse registry cannot train home health aides unless it operates a school licensed by the Florida Department of Education. 

In-Service Training  

All home health aides employed by home health agencies and nurse registries must initially complete two hours of HIV/AIDS training and every two years they need to complete 1 hour of HIV/AIDS in-service training.  They also are required to obtain and maintain a current certificate in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).   

Home health aides employed by Medicare and Medicaid home health agencies are required to have a total of 12 hours of in-service training during each 12-month period (this can be a calendar year or based on the date of hire).  The HIV/AIDS training and CPR training may be counted toward meeting the 12 hours of in-service training.  

If You Misplace Your Home Health Aide Certificate 

There is no central state registry for home health aides in the state of Florida.  If you misplaced your home health aide certificate, you will need to contact the school in which you received your certificate in order to receive a replacement. 

Questions Concerning Certified Nursing Assistants

An individual with a Florida certified nursing assistant (CNA) certificate can be employed by a home health agency as a home health aide.   

CNAs are certified by a different state agency, the Department of Health, Board of Nursing, Certified Nursing Assistant Registry.  Passage of the state CNA test is required for certification.  For information on the CNA test, call 888-277-3500. 

There are also in-service requirements for keeping the C.N.A. certificate.  For information on these requirements, please go to their web site and view the CNA state rules: http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/cna/cna_home.html or call 850-245-4567. 

Other Questions?  Call the AHCA Home Care Unit (850) 414-6010

Home Health Aides Have New Medication Management Requirements

 October 10, 2006

Assistance with self-administered medication. Home health aides and CNAs assisting with self-administered medication, pursuant to Section 400.488, F.S., must receive a minimum of 2 hours of training  prior to assuming this responsibility. Training must cover state law and rule requirements with respect to the assistance with self-administration of medications in the home, procedures for assisting the patient with self-administration of medication, common medications, recognition of side effects and adverse reactions and procedures to follow when residents appear to be experiencing side effects and adverse reactions.

Training must include verification that each CNA and home health aide can read the prescription label and any instructions. Individuals who cannot read must not be permitted to assist with prescription medications. Other courses taken in fulfillment of this requirement must be documented and maintained in the home health aide’s personnel file.

PEGCO, Inc. has over 10 years experience instructing MEDICATION MANAGEMENT for Assisted Living Facilities and Group Homes. Our training programs meet or exceed the new  State requirements. Do not risk violating State Survey or increasing your Agency exposure by not having your staff trained to meet this NEW State requirement.

Upon successful completion of the Medication Management Training Program students are awarded Certificate of Completion AND 3 Continuing Education Units toward the 12 required by the State.

We will bring this training to your office for 5 or more students. Call Bill Stacy RN today to schedule your training. 386-756-4266.

For More Information Contact: EMAIL US TO SCHEDULE TRAINING