Pennsylvania Home Care Policy and Procedure Manual
For Pennsylvania home care agencies licensed by the Department of Health under 28 Pa. Code Chapter 611 that employ their own direct care workers. The manual has 49 policies and 60 forms, written to Chapter 611, the general licensing rules in Chapter 51 and the Older Adults Protective Services Act. Each policy opens with a plain-English summary and names the rule it follows, and every one is filled in with your agency's details. You get Word and PDF files to keep, and your staff sign off on their phones.
Pennsylvania · Home care
49 policies written to the Pennsylvania rules, with 60 forms. Every one is filled in with your agency's details.
- A plain-English summary first
- The rule each policy follows
- Word and PDF downloads, yours to keep
- Policies
- 49
- Forms
- 60
- Categories
- 13
- Policy Pack · required
- $700one-timeIncludes 90 days in the portal with Premium. To keep it open after that, Premium is $79 a month or $790 a year.
Read before you buy
3 free sample policies, shown in full for a sample agency.
Complaints and Grievances
Gives consumers and families an easy way to complain to the Agency, by phone, in writing or in person, without fear of retaliation; sets the Agency’s own time frames to acknowledge (5) and resolve (30) complaints; tells consumers how to complain to the Department of Health and the Area Agency on Aging Ombudsman; and, for waiver participants, keeps the complaint system and quarterly review that 55 Pa. Code §52.18 requires.
Read the full policy PA-HC-ANE-01Free sample SafeguardingRecognizing and Reporting Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Adults
Tells every employee what abuse, neglect and exploitation are, and exactly what to do when they suspect it: keep the consumer safe, make an immediate oral report to the local protective services agency at (717) 555-0121 or the statewide hotline, tell the Administrator, make the written report within 48 hours, and, for sexual abuse, serious injury or a suspicious death, also report to the police and the Department of Aging. Covers the Adult Protective Services Act for consumers 18 to 59, the Agency’s follow-up, confidentiality and protection from retaliation.
Read the full policy PA-HC-IC-01Free sample Infection controlInfection Control and Standard Precautions
Sets the infection control practices every direct care worker follows in consumers’ homes: hand hygiene, standard precautions and gloves, respiratory hygiene, cleaning, laundry and food safety, work restrictions for sick workers, and what to do when a consumer has an infection or there is an outbreak in the community.
Read the full policyWhat Pennsylvania's home care rules ask your policies to cover
- An information packet before services start. Each consumer gets a written packet with the items the rule lists, including the Department's complaint number and the local ombudsman's number. 28 Pa. Code §611.57(c)
- Notice before services end. At least 10 calendar days' written notice before the agency ends services. Shorter notice only when the consumer is more than 14 days behind on payment despite notice, or the worker's health and welfare is at risk. 28 Pa. Code §611.57(a)(2)
- Criminal history checks. A Pennsylvania State Police report obtained within the past year for every direct care worker, office staff applicant and owner, and an FBI record with a Department of Aging letter for anyone who has not lived in Pennsylvania for the past two years. 28 Pa. Code §611.52
- Competency. Each direct care worker meets one of the rule's competency routes before the first assignment, and has a competency review at least once a year. 28 Pa. Code §611.55
- Tuberculosis screening. Documentation from a health care professional, dated within a year before the start date, that the worker is free from active tuberculosis and communicable disease, updated every 12 months. 28 Pa. Code §611.56
- Abuse reporting. An immediate oral report to the local protective services agency and a written report within 48 hours. Sexual abuse, serious injury and suspicious deaths also go to the police and the Department of Aging. 35 P.S. §10225.701
Questions a surveyor may ask
Every policy lists questions a surveyor may ask about it, so your staff can practice the answers. A few from this manual:
Show me the information packet this consumer received and the date they received it. Was it before the first visit?PA-HC-CR-02Consumer Information Packet and Disclosure of Direct Care Worker Status
When have you given less than 10 days’ notice, and what documentation supports it?PA-HC-DC-01Termination of Services, Discharge, and Transfer
Show me how this direct care worker met the competency requirements before their first assignment.PA-HC-CMP-01Direct Care Worker Competency Requirements and Training Program
If one of your workers suspects a consumer is being abused, who do they call first, and how quickly?PA-HC-ANE-01Recognizing and Reporting Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of Adults
What happens to a high-priority consumer if a snowstorm stops their worker getting there?PA-HC-EP-01Emergency Preparedness and Continuity of Services
Browse all 49 policies
Search by title, policy number or rule. Open any policy to see its summary, the rules it follows and what is inside.
Client rights4
Service delivery10
Clinical tasks1
Safeguarding3
Infection control2
Emergency preparedness1
Records1
Privacy3
Human resources11
Governance5
Quality2
Business3
Ethics3
Questions about this manual
Is this the right manual for my license?
It is for home care agencies licensed under Chapter 611 that employ their direct care workers. It does not cover a home care registry that places independent contractors. Agencies licensed for home health or hospice need the Pennsylvania home health or Pennsylvania hospice manual.
Can we interview applicants by video?
Yes. Act 96 of 2024 changed the Health Care Facilities Act so the face-to-face interview with a direct care worker applicant may be held by two-way video. Policy PA-HC-HR-01 covers the interview and the two references the rule asks for.
Can a new worker start before the background check comes back?
Only under the conditions in 28 Pa. Code §611.54, including a sworn statement, competency met first and documented random observation, and for a limited time: 30 days, or 90 days for applicants who have not lived in Pennsylvania for the past two years. Policy PA-HC-HR-04 sets out each step.
What do the 49 policies cover?
Client rights (4), service delivery (10), clinical tasks (1), safeguarding (3), infection control (2), emergency preparedness (1), records (1), privacy (3), human resources (11), governance (5), quality (2), business (3) and ethics (3).
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