Employee Training

PURPOSE:

To specify the competency requirements for applicants, direct care workers who are employed/rostered and to specify the conditions for accepting competency information from other entities or transferring competency information from this agency/registry to another entity.

POLICY:

The agency/registry requires that applicants and direct care workers employed/rostered to demonstrate competency in specific subject areas in accordance with Chapter 611 of the Health Care Facilities Act and the applicant’s prospective or direct care worker’s job assignment(s); the agency/registry will consider an applicant’s previous training and experience; an employee/rostered direct care worker’s competency documentation is transferable .

PROCEDURE:

Applicants/Employees/Rostered Workers

1. All direct care worker applicants/employees/rostered persons are required to demonstrate competency in the following areas prior to providing services to a consumer:
   • Confidentiality
   • Consumer Control & Independent Living Philosophy
   • Basic Infection Control
   • Instrumental Activities of Daily Living
   • Universal Precautions
   • Recognizing Consumer Changes that Need Addressed
   • Handling Emergencies
   • Recognizing and Reporting Abuse and Neglect
   • Documentation
   • Dealing with Difficult Behaviors
2. If the direct care worker applicant/employee/rostered person will be providing personal care, the applicant must also demonstrate competency in the additional subject areas of
   • Bathing, shaving, grooming and dressing
   • Hair, skin and mouth care
   • Assistance with ambulation and transferring
   • Toileting
   • Meal preparation and feeding
   • Assistance with self-administered medications
3. The direct care worker applicant/employee/rostered person can demonstrate competence by providing one of the following:
   • Valid PA license as a nurse
   • Valid PA certification as a nurse aide
   • Completed training from:
   • Another home care agency, registry or entity that included the 10 subject areas above and the 6 personal care subject areas, if applicable
   • A home health aide program under 42 C.F.R. 484.36 A Medicaid waiver or publicly funded home and community-based program provided by this agency/registry
   • A program approved by the PA Department of Health, OR
   • Successful completion of this agency/registry’s written competency examination and/or demonstration of specific skills
4. Competency will be measured on an annual basis through a variety of methods including but not limited to:
   • Annual competency and performance reviews
   • Consumer feedback
   • Direct observation
   • Training and testing
5. Any documentation provided by an applicant must include:
   • Dates
   • Name of training program or training entity
   • Training content or evidence of the above subject areas
   • Evidence of successful completion
6. All documentation is subject to validation, e.g. through the licensing or certification agent, or the provider of the training/testing. Originals are preferred.
7. If the applicant becomes an employee/rostered worker, copies of the documentation will be maintained in the direct care worker’s file.
8. All documentation of the direct care worker’s successful completion of training, testing, annual reviews will be maintained in the worker’s file. If certificates of completion are awarded, the worker will receive the original and, at the worker’s request a copy may be maintained in the worker’s file.
   Improve your caregiving skills by taking a free training and education through My Learning Center, a project by Pennsylvania Homecare Association.