Table of Content
- House Jan. 6 committee releases final report, blames Trump for Capitol attack
- Trump attacks Jan. 6 report, claiming it produced no evidence
- The In’s-and-Out’s of Home Health Aide Certification
- Florida Certified Nurse Midwife
- Home Health Aide Training Online - Option 8 – Corner Stone Health Care Living, Washington
- Home Health Aide
The CDC publishes a Nursing Home COVID-19 Data Dashboard and Nursing Home Vaccination Data Dashboard that are updated weekly and include several key data points at the state and national level. Beginning in June 2020, the data reported by CMS and by individual states appear to be roughly comparable, though exact comparisons are difficult because of the inconsistency in state reporting. There is variation in vaccination rates among regions and facilities within each state, not just between states.
Several interview respondents mentioned that workers do not go into this field for the paycheck, but because they have a "caring gene." However, COVID-19 added a very real threat to physical safety that potential employees have had a hard time overlooking. Because of this, COVID-19 has made it more difficult than ever to recruit new staff. The Senate Special Aging Committee held a hearing in November 1999 to address the issue of staffing shortages in nursing homes.
House Jan. 6 committee releases final report, blames Trump for Capitol attack
Many states have required self-reporting by nursing homes and/or other long-term care facilities, but the requirements vary widely. Some states combine data for nursing homes and other long-term care facilities such as assisted living; others combine resident and staff cases and deaths, while others provide limited or no data at all. Agencies also allowed flexible scheduling to help staff accommodate for things like childcare needs or second jobs, provided mental health services for their staff, and even helped to provide basic everyday needs like groceries. As previously noted, the pandemic also amplified the many staffing challenges that the home care and home health workforce had already been facing. Providers used creative staffing arrangements -- such as having staff play multiple roles -- to offset staffing reductions.
The group reports that Connecticut's minimum staffing standards are lower than typical nursing home staffing patterns in the state and do not affect demand for direct care workers. Staffing needs are related to resident acuity levels, so that the staffing needs in a rehabilitation hospital, for example, are different than those in an Alzheimer's unit. Therefore, establishing a single ratio will not guarantee quality of care and may be problematic if higher acuity facilities choose to staff at the mandated ratio level which may be lower than good resident care would require.
Trump attacks Jan. 6 report, claiming it produced no evidence
As students begin researching and reviewing prospective home health aide training programs, they may wonder how long it typically takes to move from matriculation to graduation. The remaining 17 states follow the National Academy of Medicine’s suggestion of 120 hours. Regardless of the path, home health aide programs can be completed relatively quickly – far more quickly than a traditional diploma or degree path. To begin working, students at bare minimum will need to meet federal training requirements and pass a competency examination.
Arkansas passed legislation to increase staffing levels; however, this legislation was neither funded nor implemented. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site. The U.S. Senate passed a crucial federal spending bill that provides funds for Ukraine and avoids a government shutdown. A Ducey spokesperson said the federal government was now doing similar work. Are you interested in being in a position to make a substantial impact on the lives of others as a home health aide? Complete an online HHA course and become certified as a Florida home health aide automatically, without commencing high school or a GED course.
The In’s-and-Out’s of Home Health Aide Certification
Beyond pay, other recommendations for worker provisions included assistance to pay for childcare or transportation. Multiple respondents also described the expanded use of telehealth and other electronic communications to protect both workers and clients as an important paradigm shift. Federal officials clarified this was not a change in federal policy and that providers could use telehealth previous to the pandemic but that it was dependent on state adoption. Advocates and agencies commented that although agencies were using telehealth more frequently, they were unable to be reimbursed for it. Reportedly, there was also wide variability among states in how they adopted telehealth for home health or home care providers.
The report assesses the need for an increase in the minimum number of nursing hours per resident in California's nursing homes and provides recommendations for such an increase. Based on the cited studies, the paper concludes that nursing homes in California are providing inadequate quality of care, leading to frequent violations of the law which endanger residents health and well-being. The author's recommendations include adopting a CNA staffing level of 2.9 hours per resident day, as specified in the CMS time-motion study and the expert panel. For LNs, recommendations include 1.2 hours per resident day, specified by the expert panel. Meeting these standards would provide nursing home residents a total of 4.1 hours of direct care per resident day. Staffing in home care and home health agencies was already precarious pre-pandemic, but most respondents noted that staffing shortages have worsened during the pandemic.
Some advocates expressed concern that pandemic flexibilities would end, and that provider burden would increase as a result. State officials and agencies commented that unemployment benefits may have been a barrier to maintaining adequate staffing but understood why workers would choose unemployment over risking their or their family's health. For example, staff have been required to wear both a mask and gloves at all visits during the pandemic, but they may have only worn gloves on a regular basis before the pandemic began. The fear surrounding infection at the beginning of the pandemic also may have led staff to request and use more PPE. Ensuring that home care workers are designated as essential workers, and providing them with priority access to PPE, testing, and vaccines.
The panel of nursing home experts in attendance included consumer advocates, health economists, health service researchers, nurse researchers and educators, and government officials. Eighteen states have standards for LNs (i.e., RNs and LVN/LPNs) while 33 have specific standards for NAs or direct care staff . Forty-five states established their standards in their administrative codes. Louisiana was the only state where staffing standards were established as a departmental policy. The Certificate of Employability in Homemaker/Home Health Care Aide at Eastern New Mexico University teaches students to provide care to the disabled, chronically ill, cognitively impaired, and anyone needing assistance in their homes or long-term care facilities. They also learn to assist in hospice and day programs and to help discharged hospital patients with short-term needs.
One home care agency reported that because it uses a franchise model, it was up to franchise owners to decide how often they would test their staff. Some provided testing only when staff were showing symptoms or had an expected exposure; others tested staff randomly regardless of symptoms or exposure. Although some staff initially pushed back against testing, interview respondents reported that more staff are now very willing to be tested on a regular basis. This may have been due to improved education and communication about testing. Similar challenges were mentioned in accessing testing for home care and home health workers.
Introducing legislation requiring nursing homes to post staffing levels by shift where it would be accessible to the public. Some local public and private career schools provide home-health aide class instruction, either at your local vocational technical school or a private career school. To find a course in your area, check with your local public or private career schools to find a class. Nonpublic educational institutions in Florida are licensed by the Florida Department of Education and Commission for Independent Education serving public postsecondary schools. As a home health aide at a Florida nurse registry, a home care aide will need to provide documentation proving the completion of at least 40 hours of home health aide training. Home health aides are in high demand in Florida, with many job openings available.
Working for a Medicare or Medicaid home health agency in Florida requires that you obtain 75 hours of training and/or pass an evaluation. While home health aides cannot prescribe medications, they are often in charge of ensuring their patients take the right dosage at the correct time each day. Examples could include preparing pills, using prescribed creams, or giving injections. Because their patients aren’t in hospital settings, home health aides must know how to check blood pressure, pulse rate, body temperature, respiration rate, and oxygen saturation. Home health aides in training learn how to properly lift and move patients from beds, chairs, and automobiles in a way that is safe for them and the patient. They also learn about moving other heavy objects such as medical equipment or furniture.
Despite there being an increase in unemployed workers who might be able to fill roles, providers felt it was harder than ever to find talent. Even before the pandemic, agencies struggled to retain workers, especially aides, personal care workers, and direct service providers. These jobs often have low wages and do not provide full-time employment or comprehensive benefits.
This specialized course helps learners develop the unique skills needed to serve children in the home. Some of the specific topics covered include understanding developmental stages, identifying developmental disabilities, navigating family relations, addressing abuse, and providing care to premature infants. If your state requires that home health aides receive certification as a nurse aide first, we can help.
Stay up-to-date with the latest education, training, and career trends in the medical profession. Get updates and read in-depth content from industry experts and healthcare professionals. In addition to federal mandates, prospective home health aides must also familiarize themselves with the rules of individual states.
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