Home Health Aide Qualifications, Training, and Competency
Sets out who may work as a home health aide, the 24-month lapse rule, the content and length of any aide training program the Agency runs, how an RN evaluates aide competency before the aide works alone, what happens after an unsatisfactory rating, and the yearly 12 hours of in-service training.
About this policy
- Policy number
- TX-HH-AID-01
- Version
- 1.0
- Main rule
- 26 TAC §558.701
- Library
- Texas home health · 56 policies
- Category
- Clinical tasks
- Sections
- 21
In short
- You cannot work alone with patients until a registered nurse has checked your skills and you have passed.
- If you are rated unsatisfactory in a skill, do not do that task without an RN present until you are retrained and pass again.
- If you have not worked as a paid home health aide for 24 months in a row, you must complete a new program or evaluation.
- You need at least 12 hours of in-service training every 12 months. Check your hours with the office.
- Only do tasks you have been trained and checked on. Ask for training before trying anything new.
What's inside
21 sections. The full text comes with the One-time Policy Pack.
- Terms of Reference
- 1. Purpose
- 2. Scope
- 3. Definitions
- 4. Policy Statement (26 TAC §558.701)
- 5. Qualification Routes
- 6. The 24-Month Lapse Rule
- 7. Verification Before First Assignment
- 8. Aide Training Program (If the Agency Conducts One)
- 9. Required Subjects and How Each Is Evaluated
- 10. Competency Evaluation
- 11. Unsatisfactory Ratings and Retraining
- 12. In-Service Training
- 13. Skills Beyond the Basic Checklist
- 14. Responsibilities
- 15. Records and Compliance Monitoring
- 16. Staff Training
- 17. References
- 18. Related Policies and Forms
- 19. Approval
- 20. Revision History
An inspector may ask
- Show me how this aide qualified, and the evidence that she has provided home health services within the last 24 months.
- Show me the aide’s competency evaluation. Which skills were observed with a patient or pseudo-patient, and who evaluated them?
See Cura Core with your agency's name on it.
Choose your state and type of agency, buy your Policy Pack online and get your sign-in by email. Already a customer? Sign in to your portal.