Certified Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide

 

AGENCY FOR HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION

Health Facility and Agency Licensing

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

59A-18.0081Certified Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide

NOTICE OF CHANGE

Notice is hereby given that the following changes have been made to the proposed rule in accordance with subparagraph 120.54(3)(d)1., F.S., published in Vol. 41 No. 195, October 7, 2015 issue of the Florida Administrative Register.

The following sections of the proposed rule will be changed to read:

 

59A-18.0081 Certified Nursing Assistant and Home Health Aide.

(1) through (13) No changes.

(14) C.N.A.s and home health aides referred by nurse registries may assist with self-administration of medication as described in Section 400.488, F.S.

(a) Home health aides and C.N.A.s assisting with self-administered medication, as described in Section 400.488, F.S., shall have received a minimum of 2 hours of training covering the following content:

1. Training shall cover state law and rule requirements with respect to the assistance with self-administration of medications in the home, procedures for assisting the resident with self-administration of medication, common medications, recognition of side effects and adverse reactions and procedures to follow when patients appear to be experiencing side effects and adverse reactions. Training must include verification that each C.N.A. and home health aide can read the prescription label and any instructions.

2. Individuals who cannot read shall not be permitted to assist with prescription medications.

(b) Documentation of training on assistance with self-administered medication from one of the following sources is acceptable:

1. Documentation of 2 hours of training in compliance with subsection 59A-8.0095(5), F.A.C., from a home health agency if the home health aide or C.N.A. previously worked for the home health agency;

2. A training certificate for 4 hours of training for assisted living facility staff in compliance with Section 429.52(6), F.S. subsection 58A-5.0191(5), F.A.C.

3. A training certificate for at least 2 hours of training from a career education school licensed pursuant to Chapter 1005, F.S., and Rule Division 6E, F.A.C., by the Department of Education, Commission for Independent Education.

4. Documentation of at least 2 hours of training by a provider approved by the Florida Board of Nursing, Department of Health.

(c) Documentation of the training must be maintained in the file of each home health aide and C.N.A. who assists patients with self-administered medication.

(d) In cases where a home health aide or a C.N.A. will provide assistance with self-administered medications as described in Section 400.488, F.S., and paragraph (e) below, a review of the medications for which assistance is to be provided shall be conducted by a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse to ensure the C.N.A. and home health aide are able to assist in accordance with their training and with the medication prescription and the medication is not required to be administered by a nurse. If the patient will not consent to a visit by the nurse to review the medications, a written list with the dosage, frequency and route of administration shall be provided by the patient or the patient’s health care surrogate, family member, or person designated by the patient to the home health aide or CNA to have reviewed by the nurse. The patient or the patient’s surrogate, guardian, or attorney in fact must give written consent for a home health aide or C.N.A. to provide assistance with self-administered medications, as required in Section 400.488(2), F.S.

(e) The trained home health aide and C.N.A. may also provide the following assistance with self-administered medication, as needed by the patient and as described in Section 400.488, F.S.:

1. Prepare necessary items such as juice, water, cups, or spoons to assist the patient in the self-administration of medication;

2. Open and close the medication container or tear the foil of prepackaged medications;

3. Assist the resident in the self-administration process. Examples of such assistance include the steadying of the arm, hand, or other parts of the patient’s body so as to allow the self-administration of medication;

4. Assist the patient by placing unused doses of solid medication back into the medication container.

(15) No change.