“Home Health Aid Training Standards”



“Home Health Aid Training Standards”

A Forum of State Association’s List Serve

Quick Survey

January, 2008

Question: Which states have training standards for home health aides that are higher than the Medicare standard (75 hours)? In addition, I am interested in learning what states are doing to approve, certify or otherwise accredit training schools for home care aides.

PA - Pennsylvania has not have higher standards or training schools – though the state is getting ready to conduct a demonstration project requiring 175 hours for a home health aide.

IN - Indiana only requires the aides to be trained and competency tested OR competency tested. Most providers use the IAHHC competency evaluation program that consists of a 100 question test and a skills check list. There is no certification for training programs.

MO - In Missouri there are not higher standards required by our survey office. I am not aware of any hha that requires employees to take the 75 hours. The standard is to give the written test and conduct the competency skills test. Not certain if schools are doing much.

TN - TN relies on Medicare training requirements for Home Health Aides.  We do have a Certified Nurse Technician (CNT) approval process for schools - these are normally nursing home techs, but many of our agencies employ CNTs as Home Health Aides.  The approval process is under the State Department of Health.

MT - Montana requires 75 hours to become a CNA, and then 16 additional hours to become a certified Home Health Aide.  The Certification Bureau at our Department of Public Health and Human Services approves the training programs for both CNAs/HHAs; CNA training is generally provided by community (or other) colleges and SNFs; certified HH agencies usually provide the extra 16 hours.

MN - We are not higher than the Medicare standards.  We have certified training programs at several of the community colleges.  We also have our web training with 60 contact hours now and hope to develop that into a certificate program some time down the road.

OH - Ohio’s training standards are the same as Medicare and our state does not approve, certify or otherwise accredit training schools.

NC - In our state to become listed on the Nurse Aide Registry as an NAI (commonly referred to as a CNA )- the aide has to complete either the state approved competency training and testing or just the state approved competency testing. All of the NAI testing is done through a state approved vendor called Promissor (Pearson Vue).  This level of testing is required for an aide in any setting of care if they are working as an NAI.  Certified Home Health agencies are required to use this level of aide. Most of the NAI programs are administered through the Community College system or private agencies providing the state approved training. (The testing has to be done by Promissor regardless of where the curriculum training is completed). Non- certified, Licensed only agencies (personal care service agencies) use either an NAI listed on the registry or a competency trained In-home aide, depending on the client’s level of care needs. The level of aide required for varying client needs is stated in our State’s Home Care Licensure Rules and the competency training for non NAI’s ( CNA’s) or limited assistance aides is done individually by the agencies.

 

VT - Vermont has 75 hours and 12 hours a year after that. No evidence of inadequate training that I know of.  The bottom line is for complicated patients the aide has to be retrained for that patient anyway.

KY - Kentucky has nothing specific to home health.  Our training, Medicaid approved courses and the competency testing are all targeted to meet the nursing home aide training provisions... and if home health uses those aides they have to ensure that they complete the home health competency provisions.

GA - No for Georgia for the training standards and no current activity.

MS - Mississippi doesn't require a training program for aides.  Just requires previous work experience as a nurse’s aide or home health aide and/OR have completed a special program for HHAs.

KS - In Kansas HHA have a 20 hour course after they have completed the 90 hour CNA.  The community colleges offer the course and the Kansas Department of Health & Environment has a credentialing committee that keeps up on the standards.

HI - There are no training hour requirements for home health aides in Hawaii and none in the works.

WI - Wisconsin does not have standards other than the federal requirements.

IA - Iowa requires a written competency test and a demonstration skills test

CA - In California, we have a state requirement that Certified Home Health Aides (CHHAs) must take a 120 hour training program.  However, no educational institutions offer this program.  Rather, most aides receive a 150 hour Certified Nursing Assistant training and then a 40 hour add-on program that qualifies them to be a Certified Home Health Aide.  Consequently, most CHHAs must take 190 hours of training.

WA - We have a union action going on in Washington State that wants to implement 120 hours of training for state paid independent providers, and includes home health and home care aides as well.

NE - we abide by the 75 hours for CNAs & feel it is adequate 

NH - NH requires 100 hrs of training – 40 classroom, 60 clinical—for licensed nursing assistants, and all home health aides must be LNAs.

ME - Maine's requirement is 150 hours

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