Wash. Admin. Code § 388-71-0991 – Who is required to complete continuing education training and when must a long-term care (LTC) worker or certified home care aide complete continuing education?

(1) All LTC workers who are certified home care aides must comply with the continuing education requirements under chapter 246-980 WAC.
(2) LTC workers, who are exempt from home care aide certification as described in RCW 18.88B.041, unless exempt from continuing education as described under WAC 388-71-1001 must complete and provide documentation of 12 hours of continuing education within 45 calendar days of being hired or by the LTC worker's birthday in the calendar year hired, whichever is later; and
1. (a) Must complete 12 hours of continuing education by the LTC worker's birthday each calendar year worked thereafter; or
2. (b) If the 45 calendar day time period allows the LTC worker to complete continuing education in January or February of the following year, the credit hours earned will be applied to the calendar year in which the LTC worker was hired.
(3) If the renewal period following initial certification as a home care aide (HCA) or nursing assistant (NA-C), is less than a full year from the date of certification, no continuing education will be due for the first renewal period.
(4) Unless exempt under WAC 388-71-1001, LTC workers who are caring for a:
1. (a) Spouse or domestic partner; or
2. (b) Parent, sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin, niece, nephew, grandparent, or grandchild, including when related by marriage or domestic partnership must complete continuing education on or before their birthday in the year after basic training was completed.
(5) A certified home care aide or LTC worker exempt from home care aide certification as described in RCW 18.88B.041 who did not complete the continuing education requirements by the time frame described in this section must not be paid to provide care after that date, unless the person is returning to employment, and their date of hire is reset according to WAC 388-71-0837.

[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 388-71-0991, 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 388-71-0991, filed 3/11/25, effective 4/11/25. Statutory Authority: RCW 18.20.270, 70.128.230, 74.08.090, 74.39A.070, and 74.39A.074. WSR 23-01-022, § 388-71-0991, filed 12/9/22, effective 1/9/23. 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, § 388-71-0991, filed 8/30/21, effective 10/1/21. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.09.520. WSR 13-02-023, § 388-71-0991, filed 12/20/12, effective 1/20/13.]