§ 418.76 Condition of participation: Hospice aide and homemaker services.

All hospice aide services must be provided by individuals who meet the personnel requirements specified in paragraph (a) of this section. Homemaker services must be provided by individuals who meet the personnel requirements specified in paragraph (j) of this section.

(a) Standard: Hospice aide qualifications. (1) A qualified hospice aide is a person who has successfully completed one of the following:

(i) A training program and competency evaluation as specified in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section respectively.

(ii) A competency evaluation program that meets the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section.

(iii) A nurse aide training and competency evaluation program approved by the State as meeting the requirements of § 483.151 through § 483.154 of this chapter, and is currently listed in good standing on the State nurse aide registry.

(iv) A State licensure program.

(2) A hospice aide is not considered to have completed a program, as specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, if, since the individual's most recent completion of the program(s), there has been a continuous period of 24 consecutive months during which none of the services furnished by the individual as described in § 409.40 of this chapter were for compensation. If there has been a 24-month lapse in furnishing services, the individual must complete another program, as specified in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, before providing services.

(b) Standard: Content and duration of hospice aide classroom and supervised practical training. (1) Hospice aide training must include classroom and supervised practical training in a practicum laboratory or other setting in which the trainee demonstrates knowledge while performing tasks on an individual under the direct supervision of a registered nurse, or a licensed practical nurse, who is under the supervision of a registered nurse. Classroom and supervised practical training combined must total at least 75 hours.

(2) A minimum of 16 hours of classroom training must precede a minimum of l6 hours of supervised practical training as part of the 75 hours.

(3) A hospice aide training program must address each of the following subject areas:

(i) Communication skills, including the ability to read, write, and verbally report clinical information to patients, care givers, and other hospice staff.

(ii) Observation, reporting, and documentation of patient status and the care or service furnished.

(iii) Reading and recording temperature, pulse, and respiration.

(iv) Basic infection control procedures.