Requirements for a caregiver in the ALF | AZ

Requirements for a caregiver in the ALF

The Arizona Bureau of Residential Facilities Licensing takes the qualifications of caregivers in an Assisted Living Facility very seriously, as they rightfully should. The staff in an ALF must be upheld to the highest quality of professionalism and dedication that residents have come to expect. Check out the following regulation provided by the BRRL as to the qualifications and training your care team staff must adhere to:

R9-10-806. Personnel

1. A manager shall ensure that:
2. A caregiver:
3. Is 18 years of age or older; and
4. Provides documentation of:
5. Completion of a caregiver training program approved by the Department or the Board of Examiners for Nursing Care Institution Administrators and Assisted Living Facility Managers; This document contains an unofficial version of the new rules in 9 A.A.C. 10, Article 1, effective November 5, 2019.
6. For supervisory care services, employment as a manager or caregiver of a supervisory care home before November 1, 1998;

iii. For supervisory care services or personal care services, employment as a manager or caregiver of a supportive residential living center before November 1, 1998; or

1. For supervisory care services, personal care services, or directed services, one of the following:

(1) A nursing care institution administrator’s license issued by the Board of Examiners;

(2) A nurse’s license issued to the individual under A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 15;

(3) Documentation of employment as a manager or caregiver of an unclassified residential care institution before November 1, 1998; or

(4) Documentation of sponsorship of or employment as a caregiver in an adult foster care home before November 1, 1998;

2. An assistant caregiver:
3. Is 16 years of age or older, and
4. Interacts with residents under the supervision of a manager or caregiver;
5. The qualifications, skills, and knowledge required for a caregiver or assistant caregiver:
6. Are based on:
7. The type of assisted living services, behavioral health services, or behavioral care expected to be provided by the caregiver or assistant caregiver according to the established job description; and
8. The acuity of the residents receiving assisted living services, behavioral health services, or behavioral care from the caregiver or assistant caregiver according to the established job description; and
9. Include:
10. The specific skills and knowledge necessary for the caregiver or assistant caregiver to provide the expected assisted living services, behavioral health services, or behavioral care listed in the established job description;
11. The type and duration of education that may allow the caregiver or assistant caregiver to have acquired the specific skills and knowledge for This document contains an unofficial version of the new rules in 9 A.A.C. 10, Article 1, effective November 5, 2019. the caregiver or assistant caregiver to provide the expected assisted living services, behavioral health services, or behavioral care listed in the established job description; and

iii. The type and duration of experience that may allow the caregiver or assistant caregiver to have acquired the specific skills and knowledge for the caregiver or assistant caregiver to provide the expected assisted living services, behavioral health services or behavioral care listed in the established job description;

4. A caregiver’s or assistant caregiver’s skills and knowledge are verified and documented:
5. Before the caregiver or assistant caregiver provides physical health services or behavioral health services, and
6. According to policies and procedures;
7. An assisted living facility has a manager, caregivers, and assistant caregivers with the qualifications, experience, skills, and knowledge necessary to:
8. Provide the assisted living services, behavioral health services, behavioral care, and ancillary services in the assisted living facility’s scope of services;
9. Meet the needs of a resident, and c. Ensure the health and safety of a resident;
10. At least one manager or caregiver is present and awake at an assisted living center when a resident is on the premises;
11. Documentation is maintained for at least 12 months after the last date on the documentation of the caregivers and assistant caregivers working each day, including the hours worked by each;
12. A manager, a caregiver, and an assistant caregiver, or an employee or a volunteer who has or is expected to have more than eight hours per week of direct interaction with residents, provides evidence of freedom from infectious tuberculosis:
13. On or before the date the individual begins providing services at or on behalf of the assisted living facility, and
14. As specified in R9-10-113;
15. Before providing assisted living services to a resident, a caregiver or an assistant caregiver receives orientation that is specific to the duties to be performed by the caregiver or assistant caregiver; and
16. Before providing assisted living services to a resident, a manager or caregiver provides current documentation of first aid training and cardiopulmonary resuscitation training This document contains an unofficial version of the new rules in 9 A.A.C. 10, Article 1, effective November 5, 2019. 12 certification specific to adults.
17. A manager of an assisted living home shall ensure that:
18. An individual residing in an assisted living home, who is not a resident, a manager, a caregiver, or an assistant caregiver:
19. Either:
20. Complies with the fingerprinting requirements in A.R.S. § 36-411, or
21. Interacts with residents only under the supervision of an individual who has a valid fingerprint clearance card; and
22. If the individual is 12 years of age or older, provides evidence of freedom from infectious tuberculosis as specified in R9-10-113;
23. Documentation of compliance with the requirements in subsection (B)(1)(a) and evidence of freedom from infectious tuberculosis, if required under subsection (B)(1)(b), is maintained for an individual residing in the assisted living home who is not a resident, a manager, a caregiver, or an assistant caregiver;
24. As part of the policies and procedures required in R9-10-803(C)(1)(h), a plan is established, documented, and implemented to ensure that the manager or a caregiver is available as back-up to provide assisted living services to a resident if the manager or a caregiver assigned to work is not available or not able to provide the required assisted living services; and
25. At least the manager or a caregiver is present at an assisted living home when a resident is present in the assisted living home and:
26. Except for night time hours, the manager or caregiver is awake; and
27. If the manager or caregiver is not awake during nighttime hours:
28. The manager or caregiver can hear and respond to a resident needing assistance; and ii. If the assisted living home is authorized to provide directed care services, policies and procedures are developed, documented, and implemented to establish a process for checking on a resident receiving directed care services during nighttime hours to ensure the resident’s health and safety.

Top Takeaway:

• Provides documentation of:

2019. Completion of a caregiver training program approved by the Department or the Board of Examiners for Nursing Care Institution Administrators and Assisted Living Facility Managers; This document contains an unofficial version of the new rules in 9 A.A.C. 10, Article 1, effective November 5, 2019.

Any person providing care to a resident in your facility must have completed an approved caregiver training program before assisting residents. You should make sure this documentation is filed in the personnel file for review by the survey team.