Section 245.70  Home Health Aide Training

a)         Each home health agency and home nursing agency shall ensure that all persons employed as home health aides or under any other title, whose duties are to assist with the personal, nursing or medical care and emotional comfort of the patients, and who are not otherwise licensed, certified or registered in accordance with Illinois law to render such care, comply with one of the following conditions:

1)         Is approved on the Department's Health Care Worker Registry.  (see Section 245.72);

2)         Meets training requirements by completion of a training program approved under the Long-Term Care Assistants and Aides Training Programs Code (see 77 Ill. Adm. Code 395); or

3)         Meets equivalencies established in subsection (b).

b)         Equivalency may be established by any one of the following:

1)         Documentation of current registration from another state.

2)         Documentation of successful completion of a nursing arts course that includes at least 40 hours of supervised clinical experience, in an accredited nurse training program as evidenced by diploma, certificate or other written verification from the school, and successful completion of the written portion of the Department-established nursing assistant competency test.

3)         Documentation of successful completion of a United States military training program that includes the content of the Basic Nursing Assistant Training Program (see 77 Ill. Adm. Code 395), as evidenced by a diploma, certification DD-214, or other written verification, and successful completion of the written portion of the Department-established nursing assistant competency evaluation.

4)         Documentation of completion of a nursing program in a foreign country, including the following, and successful completion of the written portion of the Department-established competency test:

A)        A copy of the license, diploma, registration or other proof of completion of the program;

B)        A copy of the Social Security card; and

C)        Visa or proof of citizenship.

c)         Requests to establish equivalency shall be submitted to the Department with accompanying documentation.

d)         To maintain an active Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification, a CNA must work at least one 8-hour shift within a 24-month period, performing nursing or nursing-related services for pay under the supervision of a licensed nurse.

e)         The home health or home nursing agency is responsible for ensuring that the individuals who furnish home health aide services on its behalf are competent to carry out assigned tasks in the patient's place of residence.  The competency evaluation conducted by an RN in the home health or home nursing agency shall address each of the following subjects:

1)         Communication skills relating to persons who are hard of hearing, have dementia, or have other special needs;

2)         Observation, reporting, and documentation of patient status and the care or service furnished;

3)         Reading and recording temperature, pulse and respiration;

4)         Basic infection prevention and control procedures;

5)         Basic elements of body functioning and changes in body function that shall be reported to an aide's supervisor;

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

7)         Recognizing emergencies and initiating emergency procedures;

8)         The physical, emotional and developmental needs of and ways to work with the populations served by the home health agency, including the need for respect for the patient, his or her privacy, and his or her property;

9)         Appropriate and safe techniques in personal hygiene and grooming that include:

A)        Bed bath;

B)        Sponge, tub or shower bath;

C)        Hair shampooing in sink, tub and bed;

D)        Nail and skin care;

E)        Oral hygiene; and

F)         Toileting and elimination;

10)         Safe transfer techniques and ambulation;

11)         Normal range of motion and positioning;

12)         Adequate nutrition and fluid intake;

13)         Problem solving with individuals with dementia who exhibit challenging behavior;

14)         Understanding dementia;

15)         Recognizing and reporting changes in skin condition; and

16)         Any other task that the agency may choose to have the home health aide perform, as permitted by statute.

f)         A home health or home nursing agency shall not employ an individual as a home health aide unless the agency has inquired of the Department as to information in the Health Care Worker Registry concerning findings of abuse, neglect or misappropriation of property.

(Source:  Amended at 43 Ill. Reg. 9134, effective August 12, 2019)