Section 240.1535  In-home Service Staff Positions, Qualifications, Training and Responsibilities

 

a)         Homecare Supervisor

 

1)         Activities of a homecare supervisor shall include:

 

A)        documenting participant contacts and activities related to participant services in the participant's file;

 

B)        preparing or reviewing reports and service calendars;

 

C)        monitoring receipt procedures in the conduct of essential shopping and errands as stated in the person-centered plan of care;

 

D)        providing input to the care coordinator on the services that are needed for each participant as a result of conferences with the homecare aide or in-home visits;

 

E)        planning, preparing and documenting contact and quarterly conferences with each assigned homecare aide;

 

F)         evaluating each assigned homecare aide annually;

 

G)        coordinating the homecare aide's activities with other components of the person-centered plan of care as required;

 

H)        making and documenting semi-annual in-home supervisory visits to a participant's home for each assigned homecare aide;

 

I)         making home visits, as necessary, to provide hands-on training and assistance; and

 

J)         initiating and/or participating in participant staffing discussions with the case manager, as necessary.

 

2)         Qualifications for a homecare supervisor shall include:

 

A)        a high school diploma or general education diploma;

 

B)        combination of skills and experience that indicate that the participant has the ability to perform the supervisory activities; and

 

C)        certification of completion of Department sponsored CCP training required by subsection (a)(3)(A).

 

3)         Homecare supervisors shall meet the following training requirements:

 

A)        Within 90 calendar days after the date of employment with the provider agency in a homecare supervisor position, each supervisor shall complete Department sponsored CCP training on policy and procedures, billings, evaluations, homecare aide and participant files;

 

B)        Within each calendar year, each supervisor shall complete 26 hours of documented in-service training on aging related subjects, including documented participation in in-house staff training and/or local, State, regional or national conferences.  Two of those hours shall be dementia training which shall include subjects related to Alzheimer's Dementia and Related Disorders; Safety Risks; and Communication and Behavior. At least 16 of the remaining hours of training shall be selected from among the following topics:

 

i)          Promoting participant dignity, independence, self-determination, privacy, choice and rights;

 

ii)         Person-centered care planning;

 

iii)        Special characteristics of the elderly population; physical, emotional and developmental needs of the participant;

 

iv)        Recognizing participant abuse, neglect, exploitation, and self-neglect; abuse and neglect prevention and reporting requirements;

 

v)         Communication skills;

 

vi)        Universal precautions, blood-borne pathogens and infection control;

 

vii)       Fire and life safety, including emergency procedures to be implemented under the agency's all hazards disaster operations plan;

 

viii)      Dealing with adverse behaviors (e.g., mental illness, depression and aggression);

 

ix)        Family dynamics;

 

x)         Diseases of the elderly;

 

xi)        Body mechanics and normal range of motion, transfer techniques and positioning;

 

xii)       Chronic illness, death and dying;

 

xiii)      Medicaid fraud and abuse;

 

xiv)      Appropriate and safe techniques in performing and assisting with personal care;

 

xv)       First aid and/or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR);

 

xvi)      Understanding advance directives;

 

xvii)     Respiratory services;

 

xviii)    Use of seclusion and restraint.

 

b)         Homecare Staff

 

1)         Activities of homecare aides include the following:

 

A)        following a participant's written person-centered plan of care;

 

B)        carrying out duties as assigned by the supervisor;

 

C)        observing the participant's functioning and reporting to the homecare supervisor;

 

D)        providing necessary receipts and documentation in the conduct of essential shopping/errands;

 

E)        maintaining records of daily activities, observations, and direct hours of service; and

 

F)         attending pre-service training, in-service training sessions and staff conferences.

 

2)         Qualifications of a homecare aide shall include:

 

A)        one of the following types of education or experience:

 

i)          a high school diploma or general education diploma;

 

ii)         one year of employment in a comparable human service capacity, or experience in care for a dependent child or adult family member; or

 

iii)        demonstration of continued progress towards meeting the educational requirement of a general education diploma by current registration and evidence of successful completion of course work (successful completion means achievement of a grade of "C" or higher); and

 

B)        the training required in subsection (b)(3).

 

3)         Homecare aides shall meet the following training requirements:

 

A)        24 hours of initial pre-service training, including agency orientation of not more than two hours, prior to assignment to provide services to a CCP participant without a supervisor or trainer present (not to exceed a six month period from the training to first assignment).  Initial homecare aide training shall be subject to a competency evaluation conducted by the agency and include all in-home services (see Section 240.210), as well as the following additional topics:

 

i)          The homecare aide's job responsibilities and limitations;

 

ii)         Communication skills, including communicating with special participant populations such as the hearing impaired and participants with dementia or other special needs;

 

iii)        Observation, reporting and documentation of participant status and of the service furnished;

 

iv)        Performance of specific service components of in-home services authorized under Section 240.210(a), including, but not limited to, personal care tasks for participants that are not medical in nature (e.g., shaving, hair shampooing and combing, bathing and sponge bath, shower bath or tub bath, toileting, dressing, nail care, respiratory services, brushing and cleaning teeth or dentures and preparation of appropriate supplies, positioning/transferring participant, and assisting participant with exercise/range of motion);

 

v)         Ability to assist in the use of specific adaptive equipment, if the aide will be working with participants who use the device;

 

vi)        Basic hygiene and basic infection control practices;

 

vii)       Maintenance of a clean, safe and healthy environment;

 

viii)      Basic personal and environmental safety precautions;

 

ix)        Use of seclusion and restraint;

 

x)         Recognizing emergencies and knowledge of emergency procedures;

 

xi)        Confidentiality of participant personal, financial and health information;

 

xii)       Knowledge and understanding of abuse and neglect prevention and reporting requirements;

 

xiii)      Respiratory services;

 

B)        a new employee may be exempt from pre-service training, but not mandated dementia training, if the employee:

 

i)          has had previous documented and supervised training within the past two years prior to this employment, equivalent to 24 hours of homecare aide pre-service training, as determined by the provider with appropriate documentation in the employee's personnel file; or

 

ii)         has a valid RN, LPN, MD, physician assistant license or certification as a CNA and has been employed in the field within the past two years; or

 

iii)        has been employed as a CCP homecare aide within the past year;

 

C)        a minimum of 12 hours per calendar year of interactive, (face-to-face, audiovisual presentations, computer-based instruction, etc.) in-service training approved by the provider agency shall be mandatory for all homecare aides.  Two of those hours shall be mandatory dementia training which shall include subjects related to Alzheimer's Dementia and Related Disorders; Safety Risks; and Communication and Behavior.  Pre-service training shall fulfill the first three hours of in-service training required for new employees, except for homecare aides exempted under subsection (b)(3)(B).  In-service training for homecare aides shall include at least 9 hours of training selected from among the following topics:

 

i)          Promoting participant dignity, independence, self-determination, privacy, choice and rights;

 

ii)        Special characteristics of the elderly population; physical, emotional and developmental needs of the participant;

 

iii)        Recognizing participant abuse, neglect and/or exploitation; abuse and neglect prevention and reporting requirements;

 

iv)        Confidentiality of participant information;

 

v)         Communication skills;

 

vi)        Universal precautions, blood-borne pathogens and infection control;

 

vii)       Fire and life safety, including emergency procedures to be implemented under the agency's all hazards disaster operations plan;

 

viii)      Dealing with adverse behaviors (e.g., mental illness, depression and aggression);

 

ix)        Family dynamics;

 

x)         Diseases of the elderly;

 

xi)        Body mechanics and normal range of motion, transfer techniques and positioning;

 

xii)       Chronic illness, death and dying;

 

xiii)      Medicaid fraud and abuse;

 

xiv)      Cultural diversity;

 

xv)       Food, nutrition and meal planning and preparation, including special diets;

 

xvi)      Maintenance of a clean, safe and healthy environment, including laundry and house cleaning skills;

 

xvii)     Appropriate and safe techniques in performing and assisting with personal care;

 

xviii)    Assistance with self-administered medications;

 

xix)      Recognizing changes in bodily functions that should be reported to the supervisor;

 

xx)       Respiratory services;

 

xxi)      Use of seclusion and restraint;

 

xxii)     First aid and/or CPR;

 

xxiii)    Understanding advance directives; and

 

D)        progress toward certification in a related field (e.g., CNA) may be used for up to three hours of in-service training per calendar year.

 

4)         All provider employees not in receipt of Department training certificates must complete two hours of dementia training within 30 days of the start of their employment and every calendar year thereafter. This training must include the following subjects: Alzheimer's Dementia and Related Disorders; Safety Risks; and Communication and Behavior.

 

(Source:  Amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 11053, effective July 16, 2024)