6867. Staff Training | LA

Perhaps one of the most common deficiencies seen during the survey of an Assisted Living Facility is the failure to train (or keep a record of training) employees along with properly documenting the paperwork required to be employed in the facility. Check out the regulation below, provided by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals for how to ensure your employee training will satisfy the requirements of the state:

• 6867. Staff Training

1. All staff shall receive the necessary and appropriate training to assure competence to perform the duties that are assigned to them.
2. All staff shall receive any specialized training required by law or regulation to meet resident’s needs.
3. The ARCP shall maintain documentation that orientation and annual training have been provided for all current employees.
4. Orientation shall be completed within 14 days of hire and shall include, in addition to the topics listed in §6867.B, the following topics:
5. the ARCP’s policies and procedures; and
6. a general overview of the job-specific requirements.
7. The following training topics shall be covered in orientation and annually thereafter for all staff and ARCP contracted providers having direct contact with residents:
8. residents’ rights;
9. procedures and requirements concerning the reporting of abuse, neglect, exploitation, misappropriation, and critical incidents;
10. building safety and procedures to be followed in the event of any emergency situation including instructions in the use of fire-fighting equipment and resident evacuation procedures including safe operation of fire extinguishers and evacuation of residents from the building;
11. basic sanitation and food safety practices;
12. requirements for reporting changes in resident’s health conditions; and
13. infection control.
14. Training for Direct Care Staff
15. In addition to the topics listed in §6867.A.3 and §6867.B, orientation for direct care staff shall include an evaluation to ensure competence to provide ADL and IADL assistance. A new employee shall not be assigned to carry out a resident’s PCSP until competency has been demonstrated and documented.
16. In addition to the required dementia training in §6867.F, direct care staff shall receive 12 hours of annual training which shall be recorded and maintained in the employee personnel file.
17. Annual training shall address the special needs of individual residents and address areas of weakness as determined by the direct care staff performance reviews.
18. All direct care staff shall receive certification in cardiac pulmonary resuscitation and adult first aid within the first 90 days of employment. The ARCP shall maintain the documentation of current certification in the staff’s personnel file.
19. The requirements of 6867.C.1 may qualify as the first year’s annual training requirements. However, normal supervision shall not be considered to meet this requirement on an annual basis.
20. Continuing Education for Directors
21. All directors shall obtain 12 continuing education units per year that have been approved by any one of the following organizations:
22. Louisiana Assisted Living Association (LALA); b. Louisiana Board of Examiners of Nursing Facility Administrators; c. LeadingAge Gulf States; d. Louisiana Nursing Home Association (LNHA); or e. any of the national assisted living associations, including i. National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL); ii. Argentum (formerly ALFA); or iii. LeadingAge;
23. Topics shall include, but not be limited to:
24. person-centered care;
25. specialty training in the population served;
26. supervisory/management techniques; and
27. geriatrics.
28. Third-Party Providers.

A general orientation and review of ARCP policies and procedures is required to be provided to third-party providers entering the building to serve residents.

1. Dementia Training
2. All employees shall be trained in the care of persons diagnosed with dementia and dementia-related practices that include or that are informed by evidence-based care practices. New employees must receive such training within 90 days from the date of hire.
3. All employees who provide care to residents in a specialized dementia care Program shall meet the following training requirements.
4. Employees who provide direct face-to-face care to residents shall be required to obtain at least eight hours of dementia-specific training within 90 days of employment and eight hours of dementia-specific training annually. The training shall include the following topics: i. an overview of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia; ii. communicating with persons with dementia; iii. behavior management; iv. promoting independence in activities of daily living, and v. understanding and dealing with family issues.
5. Employees who have regular contact with residents, but who do not provide direct face-to-face care, shall be required to obtain at least four hours of dementia-specific training within 90 days of employment and two hours of dementia training annually. This training shall include the following topics: i. an overview of dementias; and ii. communicating with persons with dementia.
6. Employees who have only incidental contact with residents shall receive general written information provided by the ARCP on interacting with residents with dementia.
7. Employees who do not provide care to residents in a special dementia care program shall meet the following training requirements.
8. Employees who provide direct face-to-face care to residents shall be required to obtain at least two hours of dementia-specific training annually. This training shall include the following topics: i. an overview of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias; and ii. communicating with persons with dementia.
9. All other employees shall receive general written information provided by the ARCP on interacting with residents with dementia.
10. Any dementia-specific training received in a nursing or nursing assistant program approved by the department or its designee may be used to fulfill the training hours required pursuant to this Section.
11. ARCPs may offer a complete training curriculum themselves, or they may contract with another organization, entity, or individual to provide the training.
12. The dementia-specific training curriculum shall be approved by the department or its designee. To obtain training curriculum approval, the organization, entity, or individual shall submit the following information to the department or its designee: a. a copy of the curriculum; b. the name of the training coordinator and his/her qualifications; c. a list of all instructors; d. the location of the training; and e. whether or not the training will be web-based.
13. A provider, organization, entity, or individual shall submit any content changes to an approved training curriculum to the department, or its designee, for review and approval. a. Continuing education undertaken by the ARCP does not require the department’s approval.
14. If a provider, organization, entity, or individual, with an approved curriculum, ceases to provide training, the department shall be notified in writing within 30 days of cessation of training. Prior to resuming the training program, the provider, organization, entity, or individual shall reapply to the department for approval to resume the program.
15. Disqualification of Training Programs and Sanctions. The department may disqualify a training curriculum offered by a provider, organization, entity, or individual that has demonstrated substantial noncompliance with training requirements including, but not limited to: a. the qualifications of training coordinators; or b. training curriculum requirements.
16. Compliance with Training Requirements a. The review of compliance with training requirements will include, at a minimum, a review of: i. the documented use of an approved training curriculum; and ii. the provider’s adherence to established training requirements
17. The department may impose applicable sanctions for failure to adhere to the training requirements outlined in this Section.

Top Takeaways:

1. 3. Orientation shall be completed within 14 days of hire and shall include, in addition to the topics listed in §6867.B, the following topics:
2. the ARCP’s policies and procedures; and
3. a general overview of the job-specific requirements.
4. The following training topics shall be covered in orientation and annually thereafter for all staff and ARCP contracted providers having direct contact with residents:
5. residents’ rights;
6. procedures and requirements concerning the reporting of abuse, neglect, exploitation, misappropriation and critical incidents;
7. building safety and procedures to be followed in the event of any emergency situation including instructions in the use of fire-fighting equipment and resident evacuation procedures including safe operation of fire extinguishers and evacuation of residents from the building;
8. basic sanitation and food safety practices;
9. requirements for reporting changes in resident’s health conditions; and
10. infection control.

Orienting staff is not just a factor in the training and retention of staff, it is required by the DHH. Orientation should be conducted within 14 days of hire and encompass the policies and procedures of your facility to ensure the success of your staff and meet the requirements of this regulation.

2. 4. All direct care staff shall receive certification in cardiac pulmonary resuscitation and adult first aid within the first 90 days of employment. The ARCP shall maintain the documentation of current certification in the staff’s personnel file.

You should have a CPR class conducted at a very minimum of quarterly to ensure all new hires receive their certification as well as the ongoing certification of veteran staff.