La. Admin. Code tit. 48 § I-8041

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section I-8041 - Home Health Aide

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.

La. Admin. Code tit. 48, § I-8041

Promulgated by the Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of the Secretary, Bureau of Health Services Financing, LR 31:451 (February 2005).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 40:2175.14(B).