9315 HOME HEALTH AIDE AND PERSONAL CARE AIDE TASKS

9315.1 Under the supervision of a licensed nurse or other authorized licensed health care professional, when employed as a personal care aide (PCA), a person may perform the following tasks:

1. (a) Cueing or hands-on assistance with performance of routine activities of daily living (such as, bathing, transferring, toileting, dressing, feeding, and maintaining bowel and bladder control);
2. (b) Shop for items that are related to a patient's nutritional status in accordance with dietary guidelines and other health needs;
3. (c) Assisting with telephone use;
4. (d) Preparing meals in accordance with dietary guidelines, and assisting with eating;
5. (e) Assisting with tasks related to keeping the patient's living area in a condition that promotes the patient's health and comfort;
6. (f) Assisting the patient with ambulation and range of motion exercise as prescribed;
7. (g) Assisting the patient with self-administration of medication;
8. (h) Reading and recording temperature, pulse, and respiration;
9. (i) Measuring and recording blood pressure, height and weight;
10. (j) Observing, recording, and reporting the patient's physical condition, behavior, or appearance;
11. (k) Implementing universal precautions to ensure infection control;
12. (l) Accompanying the patient to medical and medically-related appointments, to the patient's place of employment, and recreational activities if approved in the patient's plan of care; and
13. (m) Assisting with incontinence, including bed pan use, changing urinary drainage bags, protective underwear, and monitoring urine input and output.

9315.2 In addition to the tasks specified in § 9315.1, under the supervision of a licensed

nurse or health care professional, when employed as an HHA, a person may perform the following tasks:

(a) Changing simple dressings that do not require the skills of a licensed nurse;

(b) Assisting the patient with activities that are directly supportive of skilled therapy services;

(c) Assisting with routine care of prosthetic and orthotic devices;

(d) Emptying and changing colostomy bags and performing care of the stoma;

(e) Cleaning around a g-tube site;

(f) Administering an enema;

(g) Administering oxygen therapy; and

(h) Administering medications, provided that the HHA is certified as a medication aide.

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 59 DCR 8359 (July 13, 2012); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 64 DCR 9594 (September 29, 2017).