In response to growing concerns over the qualifications and training of some home care workers, states are paying closer attention to the rules and regulations around home health care workers and home care aides, and the different training and requirements that apply to each.
Home health aides, regulated under the Center for Medicare and Medicaid services are not at issue, writes a USA Today article on the topic. But home care aides, regulated on the state level, are coming under scrutiny by consumer advocates and those in favor of home care reform.
USA Today recaps recent movement among home care laws in several states including California, Iowa and Kentucky. In California, the Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act has been signed into law and will take effect in 2016. In Iowa, a recent bill requires a mandatory study of background checks for home health workers; and in Kentucky, a new screening program based on voluntary finger printing will apply to long-term care workers.
A training program under the Affordable Care Act has also been funded across California, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, and North Carolina, USA Today writes.
But challenges lie ahead on the training front, Jennifer Craft Morgan, assistant professor at the Gerontology Institute of Georgia State University told USA Today.
“Without standardized training, employers have difficulty identifying well-qualified workers,” she said.
Written by Elizabeth Ecker
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