HOME HEALTH AIDE, 51.2602.00

EXAMINE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE HOME HEALTH CARE AGENCY

DEMONSTRATE ETHICAL AND LEGAL CONDUCT IN ALL ACTIVITIES

UTILIZE OBSERVATION, REPORTING, AND DOCUMENTATION SKILLS

DEMONSTRATE COMMUNICATION AND CULTURAL COMPETENCY

DEMONSTRATE JOB MANAGEMENT AND SELF-CARE SKILLS

APPLY STANDARD PRECAUTIONS AND INFECTION CONTROL MEASURES

ANALYZE SAFETY AND EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

EXAMINE NUTRITIONAL NEEDS AND FOOD PREPARATION TECHNIQUES

FACILITATE HOME ENVIRONMENT MAINTENANCE

UTILIZE PROPER BODY MECHANICS AND BACK SAFETY TECHNIQUES

ANALYZE CHRONIC DISEASES AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES

EXAMINE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF AN INDIVIDUAL

UTILIZE TRANSFERRING AND POSITIONING SKILLS

DEMONSTRATE PERSONAL CARE WITH CONSIDERATION TO PERSONAL PREFERENCES

FACILITATE ACTIVITIES AND ACTIVITY PLANNING

DEMONSTRATE DEMENTIA-SPECIFIC CARE COMPETENCIES

ASSIST INDIVIDUALS WITH GRIEF AND THE END-OF LIFE PROCESS

ASSIST INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

ANALYZE COMMON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND THEIR CARE

Describe settings for direct care and support services

Describe types of services provided to individuals and families (e.g., homemaking, companion services, personal care, and attendant care)

Identify Arizona agencies and programs that offer direct care services and require training and testing for direct care workers

Distinguish among activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs)

Describe the basics functions of the service team and the importance of teamwork in providing services

Describe the training requirements for a home health aide/direct care worker

Describe positive caregiver traits and professional standards (i.e., appearance, being on time, etc.)

Explain how professional standards influence the relationship between the direct care worker (DCW) and the person receiving services

Explain the importance of notifying the agency/supervisor about a change in the direct care worker’s schedule

Describe the supervisory role with examples of questions about specific procedures

Define legal terms that apply to direct care and support including legal consequences [e.g., abuse, neglect, and exploitation; fraud; assault and battery; abandonment; negligence; liability; false imprisonment (i.e., improper restraints, etc.)]

Explain “mandatory reporting” according to Adult Protective Services (APS) and Child Protective Services (CPS)

Describe the role and purpose of a service plan (i.e., care plan, support plan, etc.)

Explain consumer rights and responsibilities in building a good provider-patient relationship

Explain the legal and ethical responsibility of the DCW to safeguard consumer information and confidentiality [e.g., according to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA); in face-to-face conversations and on the phone; conduct in the event of a confidentiality breach; and meaning of the “need to know rule”]

Explain how the direct career worker can promote an individual’s independence and the right to make personal choices

Describe advance directives used for healthcare planning (e.g., Living Will, Durable Power of Attorney for Medical, and Pre-hospital Medical Directive)

Explain the purpose of reporting and documenting

Describe how to record information accurately

Analyze the difference between documenting and reporting facts versus opinions or feelings

Explain the importance of and reporting observed changes in individuals

Compare effective verbal and non-verbal communication

Describe barriers to communication (i.e., judgment based on personal bias or perceptions, poor listening habits, etc.)

Distinguish among aggressive communication, passive communication, and assertive communication

Give examples of respectful interactions (i.e., regarding personal preferences, avoiding unprofessional forms of address, etc.)

Demonstrate techniques for communicating with individuals with disabilities (e.g., persons who are blind or have low vision, persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, persons who have aphasia, persons who have mental illness, persons who have a cognitive disability, and persons who do not communicate using the spoken language)

Give examples of and explain the importance of “person first language”

Demonstrate how to respond in a nonthreatening way to another person’s behavior

Practice problem-solving and conflict resolution techniques (i.e., active listening, open-ended questions, showing empathy, etc.)

Identify culture-specific concepts or practices and explain the impact of culture on a person’s needs and preferences

Analyze cultural barriers to communication (i.e., one’s own upbringing and perceptions, etc.)

Explain “cultural competence” and actions that support culturally competent care

Distinguish between positive and negative stress

List causes and effects of stress

Identify appropriate strategies for coping with stress and reducing work-related stress

Identify ways to practice appropriate time management

Identify strategies to improve organizational skills

Distinguish between personal and professional boundaries

Describe the rights of DCWs including personal safety precautions

Define and give examples of standard precautions (universal precautions)

Analyze measures that prevent and control infections

Demonstrate appropriate hand-washing technique

Explain when to wear gloves and demonstrate how to apply, remove, and dispose of gloves

Demonstrate compliance procedures for handling and disposing of sharps and other waste

Describe common emergency situations including guidelines for handling emergencies (i.e., when to call 911, etc.)

Describe an individual emergency plan including when to contact the family and/or supervisor

Describe a service plan to include risk factors, safety precautions, and assistance to the person receiving services

Describe fire safety procedures and risk factors

Describe and simulate (role-play) the use of a fire extinguisher

Describe ways to promote oxygen safety

Identify hazards in the home such as frayed cords and poisonous cleaning materials

Identify food groups and nutrients for a healthy diet and good health

Explain the order of ingredients listed on the food label

Explain the terms “portion” and “serving”

List health issues that may require a modified diet

Plan a menu based on individual preference and/or a modified diet based on dietary needs and/or a medically recommended diet

Identify nutrients that may be monitored for certain diets

Explain ways to encourage a person to eat and/or comply with a medically recommended diet

Identify assistive devices to help a person feel more in control of the meal planning and eating process

Describe proper food preparation and storage

Define foodborne illness and describe ways to reduce foodborne illness

Utilize the service plan to determine cleaning tasks and how and who is responsible for completion

Distinguish between personal choice and the need to complete tasks to avoid health and safety risks

Identify cleaning solutions and the proper concentration of these solutions

Explain procedures for trash disposal and cleaning up clutter

Practice general procedures for homemaking skills (i.e., washing dishes, doing laundry, cleaning the bathroom, etc.)

Explain the importance of good body mechanics and lifting techniques

Describe elements of good body mechanics such as proper use of leg muscles and keeping the center of gravity over the base of support

Demonstrate good techniques for moving objects with good body alignment

Identify assistive devices

Differentiate among aging, chronic illness, and disability

Identify body systems and determine their function (e.g., heart and circulation; lungs, brain and nervous system; skin, muscles, and bones; and stomach, bowels, and bladder)

Identify common conditions affecting body systems and their potential effect on a person’s care

Describe the effects of aging on the body

Describe signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression

Explain the terms “paralysis” and “amputation”

Describe the impact of aging on the physical and emotional needs of an individual

Describe the physical and emotional needs of a person with a psychological or cognitive condition

Give examples of how to determine a person’s abilities, needs, and desires when providing services

Discuss the possible emotional impact of a physical disability or a chronic disease

Describe how age, illness, and disability affect sexuality

Identify common assistive devices (i.e., walkers, wheelchairs, etc.)

Explain the importance of proper transfer skills and the safe use of assistive devices

Explain the importance of repositioning to prevent skin damage and pressure ulcers

Describe the use of a mechanical lift and/or slide board

Practice assistance with ADLs (e.g., gait belt, ambulation, positioning a person in bed or a wheelchair, transferring a person out of bed, and transferring a person in and out of a wheelchair)

Explain the relationship between a person’s service plan and the DCW’s role when providing ADLs

Give examples of techniques that can be used to preserve dignity and privacy while providing personal care

Identify techniques used to preserve independence and respect a person’s preferences while providing personal care

Identify characteristics of people who might be at risk for skin-integrity concerns

Identify the most common causes of skin breakdown

Practice assistance with ADLs (e.g., in dressing, with meals, bathing, catheter bag, and the bed pan)

Identify basic principles and purposes of activities and give examples

Describe how a person’s functional status affects activities

Give examples of activities suitable for individuals with specific disabilities

Describe the individual’s right to choose or refuse activities

Give an example of choosing an activity appropriate to a person’s cultural or religious background

Define types of dementia

Describe the stages of dementia

Describe changes in cognitive abilities and the difference between normal forgetfulness and that associated with dementia

Identify dementia-related symptoms of depression and withdrawal from normal life activities

Understand changes in behavior and emotions

Describe dementia-specific care related to communication issues and the use of a life story; ADLs; managing difficult behaviors; planning activities; pain management; safety issues

Practice ways to redirect a person with dementia

Describe the stages of grieving and the death and dying process

Describe physical and emotional aspects of the dying process

Give examples of how cultural and family differences influence the death and dying process

Explain how a death can affect a DCW

Identify and explain coping strategies relevant to grieving and/or dying

Describe community resources available to help with death and dying

Identify the rights of people with developmental disabilities

Identify ways to build and maintain a positive, professional relationship with the client/patient

Explain the meaning and importance of “self-determination”

Define “developmental disability”

Identify four conditions to qualify for services from the Division of Developmental Disabilities

Identify effects of Cerebral Palsy

Identify effects of Cognitive Disability

Identify effects of Autism

Identify effects of Epilepsy

Describe factors that contribute to seizure activity and how to recognize when a person is having a seizure

Describe what to do and what not to do when a person is having a seizure

Identify when to call 911 when a person is having a seizure

Describe how to document and report seizure activity

Give examples of how to support a person after seizure activity