Licensing Home Nursing Care Providers and Home Care Providers (216-RICR-40-10-17)

What this rule requires your agency to do

• 1Each patient must be given written notice of patient rights (per R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-19.1) in advance of care or at the initial evaluation visit, with a signed copy maintained in the patient record and in the patient's home; the governing body must maintain employee bonding insurance (minimum $10,000 per loss) and liability insurance (minimum $500,000 per occurrence) (§§ 17.6.1(B)-(C), 17.5.1(C)(2)).(Licensing Home Nursing Care Providers and Home Care Providers (216-RICR-40-10-17))
• 2Personnel files must be maintained for each employee and must include findings of a criminal records check (if employed after July 26, 1993), a reference check prior to employment, records of required health examinations, and documentation of completed training and in-service education (§ 17.5.3(G)).(Licensing Home Nursing Care Providers and Home Care Providers (216-RICR-40-10-17))
• 3An ongoing in-service educational program (including orientation for direct-care staff) must be conducted covering infection control, HIPAA general provisions, and recognition and reporting of abuse, neglect, mistreatment, and exploitation; employee performance must be evaluated annually and reviewed with/signed by the employee within 45 days (§§ 17.5.3(D), (C)(1)).(Licensing Home Nursing Care Providers and Home Care Providers (216-RICR-40-10-17))
• 4Nursing assistant services must be provided in accordance with a plan of care and monitored/supervised at least once every three months by a Rhode Island licensed registered nurse or other appropriate licensed health care professional, including an initial in-home assessment before service begins (or within 48 hours) and on-site performance monitoring at least every three months (§ 17.6.6(B)).(Licensing Home Nursing Care Providers and Home Care Providers (216-RICR-40-10-17))
• 5Homemakers must successfully complete a Director-approved basic training program of at least 20 hours of classroom instruction plus at least 5 hours of practical experience and pass a final examination before functioning as a homemaker; homemaker services must be rendered under a plan of care and supervised by a Rhode Island licensed nurse or qualified degree-holder, with an initial in-home assessment and re-assessment at least every three months (§§ 17.5.3(I), (H)).(Licensing Home Nursing Care Providers and Home Care Providers (216-RICR-40-10-17))
• 6Upon hire and prior to delivering services, a pre-employment health screening must be conducted for each individual who has or may have direct contact with a patient, per Part 216-20-15-7 (§ 17.5.3(K)).(Licensing Home Nursing Care Providers and Home Care Providers (216-RICR-40-10-17))
• 7Criminal records checks must be conducted in accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-17-34 (§ 17.5.3(L)).(Licensing Home Nursing Care Providers and Home Care Providers (216-RICR-40-10-17))
• 8Each home nursing care provider or home care provider must be licensed by the licensing agency; a license (issued for no more than one year, expiring December 31) must be kept posted in a conspicuous place at the central office, and a notarized annually-updated list of direct and indirect owners must accompany the application (§§ 17.4.3(A), (D), (F), (B)).(Licensing Home Nursing Care Providers and Home Care Providers (216-RICR-40-10-17))