The use of private duty personnel in the ALF | VA

The use of private duty personnel in the ALF

Using a private duty home care agency can be a great idea to augment the services your community is providing to residents. Private duty personnel can provide assistance with day-to-day activities such a meal preparation, housekeeping, personal grooming, hygiene, and even act as a personal companion for residents in addition to taking a load off your staff’s back. To stay compliant with the Virginia DOSS regulation on private personnel take a look below:

22VAC40-73-220. Private duty personnel.

  1. When private duty personnel from licensed home care organizations provide direct care or companion services to residents in an assisted living facility, the following applies:
  2. Before direct care or companion services are initiated, the facility shall obtain, in writing, information on the type and frequency of the services to be delivered to the resident by private duty personnel, review the information to determine if it is acceptable, and provide notification to the home care organization regarding any needed changes.
  3. The direct care or companion services provided by private duty personnel to meet identified needs shall be reflected on the resident’s individualized service plan.
  4. The facility shall ensure that the requirements of 22VAC40-73-250 D 1 through D 4 regarding tuberculosis are applied to private duty personnel and that the required reports are maintained by the facility or the licensed home care organization.
  5. The facility shall provide orientation and training to private duty personnel regarding the facility’s policies and procedures related to the duties of private duty personnel.
  6. The facility shall ensure that documentation of resident care required by this chapter is maintained.
  7. The facility shall monitor the delivery of direct care and companion services to the resident by private duty personnel.
  8. When private duty personnel who are not employees of a licensed home care organization provide direct care or companion services to residents in an assisted living facility, the requirements listed under subdivisions A 2 through A 6 of this section apply. In addition, before direct care or companion services are initiated, the facility shall:
  9. Obtain, in writing, information on the type and frequency of the services to be delivered to the resident by private duty personnel, review the information to determine if it is acceptable, and provide notification to whoever has hired the private duty personnel regarding any needed changes.
  10. Ensure that private duty personnel is qualified for the types of direct care or companion services they are responsible for providing to residents and maintain documentation of the qualifications. 3. Review an original criminal history record report issued by the Virginia Department of State Police, Central Criminal Records Exchange, for each private duty personnel.
  11. The report must be reviewed prior to the initiation of services.
  12. The date of the report must be no more than 90 days prior to the date of initiation of services, except that if private duty personnel change clients in the same facility with a lapse in service of not more than 60 days, a new criminal history record report shall not be required.
  13. The administrator shall determine conformance to facility policy regarding private duty personnel and criminal history to protect the welfare of residents. The policy must be in writing. If private duty personnel is denied the ability to provide direct care or companion services due to convictions appearing on their criminal history record report, a copy of the report shall be provided to the private duty personnel.
  14. The report and documentation that was reviewed shall be maintained at the facility while the private duty person is at the facility and for one year after the last date of work.
  15. Criminal history reports shall be maintained in locked files accessible only to the licensee, administrator, board president, or the respective designee.
  16. Further dissemination of the criminal history record report information is prohibited other than to the commissioner’s representative or a federal or state authority or court as may be required to comply with an express requirement of law for such further dissemination.
  17. The requirements of subsections A and B of this section shall not apply to private duty personnel who only provide skilled nursing treatments as specified in 22VAC40-73-470 B.

Top Takeaway:

  • Before direct care or companion services are initiated, the facility shall obtain, in writing, information on the type and frequency of the services to be delivered to the resident by private duty personnel, review the information to determine if it is acceptable, and provide notification to the home care organization regarding any needed changes.

The private duty agency and your staff need to be on the same page when it comes to the type of services they will be providing to your residents. You do not want a duplication of unnecessary services or a situation where you are not documenting the care in the resident’s ISP.