75 Hour Home Care Aide Training
The following short presentation provided by Washington DSHS will help you understand:
- New terms you need to know
- What classes make up the 75 hours of training
- Who must take and who is exempt from 75 hours of training and home care aide certification
- Other training that may be required
- Tools to understand the steps needed to complete training and home care aide certification
Terms to Know
Long term care (LTC) worker: A worker paid to provide direct, hands on personal care in a setting licensed by, or contracted by the state. LTC workers include:
- Individual Providers paid to provide care to DSHS clients
- People working in adult family homes, assisted living facilities, home care agencies, and supported living settings
Certified Home Care Aide (HCA): A new professional credential required of newly hired LTC workers who do not have another professional credential or meet specific exemptions.
Non-Credentialed LTC worker: A LTC worker who does NOT currently have a professional credential or certification such as a RN, LPN or CNA.
Limited English Proficiency : The ability to read, write, or speak English is limited.
75 hour training: Training hours required to take the home care aide certification exam. The following classes make up the 75 hours.
Orientation training: 2 hours of introductory information orienting new workers to the care setting and job.
Safety training: 3 hours of introductory information on safety practices.
70 hour basic training: 70 hours of training devoted to basic training. These 70 hours must include:
- Core basic training – Training covering the basic skills and information needed to provide hands on personal
- Population specific basic training – Training tailored to a specific group of clients and their unique care needs due to their disease, condition and/or stage of Specialty training meets the population specific requirement when taken with Core Basic training.
Who Must Take 75 Hours of Training and Become a Certified Home Care Aide?
A newly hired LTC worker (unless listed as exempt on slide 5) must:
- Take 75 hours of training within 120 days of hire
- Become a Certified Home Care Aide within 200 days of hire LTC Workers with Limited English Proficiency can apply for a provisional certificate (when filling out the DOH application) that will extend this timeline an additional 60 days.
Who is exempt from the 75 Hour Training and Certified Home Care Aide requirement?
- RNs, LPNs, NACs, nurse technicians, or advanced registered nurse practitioners.
- A person with special education training and endorsement granted by the superintendent of public Instruction.
- A Long term care worker employed in Washington State:
- Between January 1, 2011 and January 6, 2012 who completed all basic training requirements in effect as of the date of hire.
- By a community residential provider (exempt until January 2016).
Modified Fundamentals of Caregiving is no longer required of RNs, LPNs or CNAs. Other training may be required of workers exempt from 75 hour training and home care aide certification.
Other Training That May be Required of a LTC Worker
Specialty Training – required in AFHs and ALFs if any client/resident living in the home or facility has:
- Dementia – Dementia Specialty
- A mental health diagnosis – Mental Health Specialty
- A developmental disability – Developmental Disability Specialty
Nurse Delegation Core Training:
- Required if NAC, NAR or Certified Home Care Aide will be performing a nurse delegated task.
Nurse Delegation : Special Focus on Diabetes:
- Required if NAC, NAR or Certified Home Care Aide will be performing insulin injections
Continuing Education (CE)
- 12 hours of Continuing Education each year by their birthdate
| What Type of Training | How Many Hours | When To Do It |
|---|---|---|
| Orientation | 2 | Before providing care |
| Safety Training | 3 | Before providing care |
| 70 hour Basic Training Core basic plus population specific training |
70 | Within 120 days of hire |
| Specialty Training
- Dementia - Mental Health - Develop. Disability |
6 4 18 |
AFH/ALF workers when required to meet licensing requirements Specialty training hours can be used towards the population specific component of the 70 hour basic training if taken within 120 days of hire |
| Home Care Aide certification | na | Within 200 days of hire (effective 7/28/13) |
| Nurse Delegation Core Special Focus on Diabetes |
9 3 |
Before performing a nurse delegated task (if required). If taken same year as 70 hour basic training can count toward CE for following year |
| Continuing Education | 12 hours a year | CE due by birthday each year beginning one year after initial certification date |
Summary of All LTC Workers’ Training Requirements
| I am a... | Training Required: |
|---|---|
| Newly hired non- credentialed LTC worker | Complete 75 hours of training within 120 days of hire and become a certified home care aide within 200 days of hire. |
| Existing employee and am a non-credentialed LTC worker | If you worked sometime between January 1, 2011 and January 6, 2012 and completed all of your basic training requirements when you were hired, take 12 hours of CE each year by your birthday. You do NOT have to retake basic training or become a certified home care aide. |
| Newly hired CNA | You have to be oriented to your job, take specialty training if it is required where you work, and take 12 hours of CE each year by your birthday if it has been more than one year since your initial credential date. You do NOT have to take the 75 hour basic training and home care aide certification requirements if you have an active credential. |
| Newly hired RN, LPN | You have to be oriented to your job and take specialty training if it is required where you work. If you have an active credential you do not have to take the 75 hour basic training and home care aide certification requirements You must maintain your RN or LPN credential in good standing. This includes completing the continuing education required for your credential. |
| Existing employee and am a CNA | Complete 12 hours of CE each year by your birthday if it has been more than one year since your initial credential date. |
| Existing employee and am a RN or LPN | You must maintain your RN or LPN credential in good standing. This includes completing the continuing education required for your credential. |
| AFH Provider | Complete 75 hours of training and become a certified home care aide prior to licensure unless you meet one of the exemptions listed on slide 5. |
| ALF Administrator or designee | Complete 75 hours of training within 120 days and become a certified home care aide in 200 days unless you meet one of the exemptions listed on slide 5. |
Getting LTC Workers Required Training
Option 1: Apply to offer training at your AFH, ALF or home care agency
Go to the ALTSA training website for detailed instructions and forms
Option 2: Use a Community Instructor approved to offer training
The ALTSA training website has a Community Instructor search feature that generates a list of all approved community instructors by the training course(s) and county you select.
Use the community instructor search feature to find approved community instructors in your area. Community Instructors can offer a variety of LTC worker training options:
- Complete 75 hours of training
- 70 hour basic training
- Core basic and population specific training
- Specialty Training
- Continuing Education (CE)
Home Care Aide (HCA) Certification
3 parts to becoming a certified home care aide.
- Complete the home care aide certification application process (Department of Health).
- Complete 75 hours of training (DSHS).
- Apply and take a written and skills exam (Prometric).
Effective 7/28/13 :
- a new LTC worker has 200 days from hire to become a certified home care A LTC worker who does not meet this deadline can no longer be paid to provide care.
- LTC Workers with Limited English Proficiency can apply for a provisional certificate that will extend this timeline an additional 60 days.
HCA certification checklist and quick link page
DSHS has developed tools to help LTC workers understand how to meet the training and certification requirements. These tools include:
- The “Home Care Aide Certification Checklist” . This document is a guide to the process of completing the 75 hour training and home care aide certification by all deadlines.
- Links to forms, websites, and information needed for training and
Find these tools at:
www.adsa.dshs.wa.gov/professional/training/links
