Wash. Admin. Code § 388-71-0888 – When do the 70-hour basic training and certification requirements apply to an individual whose required basic training was previously less than 70 hours?

(1) The following long-term care (LTC) workers must complete 70 hours of basic training and become a certified home care aide under WAC 388-71-0523:
1. (a) An individual provider (IP) who previously provided no more than 20 hours of nonrespite care in any calendar month for one unrelated client and who:
  1. (i) Continues to work for one unrelated client whose authorized monthly hours fluctuate above 20 hours per month; or
  2. (ii) Begins to work for a second client.
2. (b) A LTC worker (working only as an individual provider) who provides respite services and worked more than 300 respite hours in any calendar year;
3. (c) A LTC worker (working only as an individual provider) who begins working for an unrelated client who previously only provided personal care to the provider's:
  1. (i) Child, parent, sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin, niece, nephew, grandparent, or grandchild, including when related by marriage or domestic partnership; or
  2. (ii) Spouse or registered domestic partner.
(2) When a LTC worker (providing in-home care) described in subsection (1) of this section is required to complete the 70-hour basic training and become a certified home care aide, the LTC worker will:
1. (a) Have 120 days from the date of the change to complete the 70-hour basic training and 365 days from the date of the change to become certified as a home care aide; and
2. (b) Be required to complete continuing education under WAC 388-71-0991.
(3) For the purpose of this section, the date of the change means the date on which the LTC worker:
1. (a) Began working for a client that is not the individual's:
  1. (i) Child, parent, sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin, niece, nephew, grandparent, or grandchild, including when related by marriage or domestic partnership; or
  2. (ii) Spouse or registered domestic partner.
2. (b) Exceeded 20 hours of work in one month; or
3. (c) Exceeded 300 respite hours in one calendar year.
(4) If a LTC worker is required to or chooses to become a certified home care aide and completes the 70-hour basic training requirements under this section, the individual will be required to continue to comply with the requirement to maintain the credential and complete continuing education requirements even if:
1. (a) The monthly authorized hours are later reduced to 20 or fewer hours;
2. (b) The individual no longer works for more than one unrelated client; or
3. (c) The individual works 300 or fewer respite hours in a calendar year.
(5) The training and certification requirements for an individual that met the criteria in subsection (4) of this section do not apply if the individual returns to work only for the individual's:
1. (a) Parent, adult child, sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin, niece, nephew, grandparent, or grandchild, including when related by marriage or domestic partnership; or
2. (b) Spouse or registered domestic partner.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.39A.009, 74.39A.070, 74.39A.074, 74.39A.076, 74.39A.341, 18.88B.010, 18.88B.021, and 18.88B.041. WSR 26-08-045, s 388-71-0888, filed 3/25/26, effective 4/25/26. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.88B.010, 18.88B.041, 74.08.090, 74.39A.076, 74.39A.341, and chapter 18.80 RCW. WSR 25-07-033, s 388-71-0888, filed 3/11/25, effective 4/11/25. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.88B.021, 18.88B.041, 18.88B.060, 74.08.090, 74.39A.076, and 74.39A.341. WSR 24-05-003, § 388-71-0888, filed 2/8/24, effective 3/10/24. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.09.520, 43.43.832, 74.39A.270, 74.39A.056, 74.39A.074, 43.20A.710, 74.39A.525, 43.43.842, 74.39A.326, 74.39A.515, 74.39A.505, 18.88B.021, 43.43.837 and 2018 c 278. WSR 21-18-081, § 388-71-0888, filed 8/30/21, effective 10/1/21. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.09.520. WSR 13-02-023, § 388-71-0888, filed 12/20/12, effective 1/20/13.]