R432-270-8. Personnel

  (1) Qualified competent direct-care personnel shall be on the premises 24 hours a day to meet residents needs as determined by the residents' assessment and service plans. Additional staff shall be employed as necessary to perform office work, cooking, housekeeping, laundering and general maintenance.

  (2) The services provided or arranged by the facility shall be provided by qualified persons in accordance with the resident's written service plan.

  (3) All personnel who provide personal care to residents in a Type I and Type II facility shall be at least 18 years of age or be a certified nurse aide and shall have related experience in the job assigned or receive on the job training.

  (4) Personnel shall be licensed, certified, or registered in accordance with applicable state laws.

  (5) The administrator shall maintain written job descriptions for each position, including job title, job responsibilities, qualifications or required skills.

  (6) Facility policies and procedures must be available to personnel at all times.

  (7) Each employee must receive documented orientation to the facility and the job for which they are hired. Orientation shall include the following:

  (a) job description;

  (b) ethics, confidentiality, and residents' rights;

  (c) fire and disaster plan;

  (d) policy and procedures;

  (e) reporting responsibility for abuse, neglect and exploitation; and

  (f) dementia specific training including:

  (i) communicating with dementia patients and their caregivers;

  (ii) communication methods and when they are appropriate;

  (iii) types and stages of dementia including information on the physical and cognitive declines as the disease progresses;

  (iv) person centered care principles; and

  (v) how to maintain safety in the dementia patient environment.

  (8) Each direct-care employee shall receive 16 hours of documented one-on-one training with a direct-care employee, with at least 3 months of experience and who has completed orientation, or the supervising nurse at the facility.

  (a) This training is not transferrable to another facility and must include:

  (i) transfer assistance; and

  (ii) activities of daily living.

  (b) Direct-care employees hired from a staffing agency must be certified nurse aides and are exempt from the 16 hours of one-on-one training.

  (9) Each employee shall receive documented in-service training. The training shall be tailored to annually include all of the following subjects that are relevant to the employee's job responsibilities:

  (a) principles of good nutrition, menu planning, food preparation, and storage;

  (b) principles of good housekeeping and sanitation;

  (c) principles of providing personal and social care;

  (d) proper procedures in assisting residents with medications;

  (e) recognizing early signs of illness and determining when there is a need for professional help;

  (f) accident prevention, including safe bath and shower water temperatures;

  (g) communication skills which enhance resident dignity;

  (h) first aid;

  (i) resident's rights and reporting requirements of Section 62A-3-201 to 312; and

  (j) Dementia/Alzheimer's specific training.

  (10) The facility administrator shall annually receive a total of 4 hours of Dementia/Alzheimer's specific training.

  (11) An employee who reports suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation shall not be subject to retaliation, disciplinary action, or termination by the facility for that reason alone.

  (12) The facility shall establish a personnel health program through written personnel health policies and procedures which protect the health and safety of personnel, residents and the public.

  (13) The facility must complete an employee placement health evaluation to include at least a health inventory when an employee is hired. Facilities may use their own evaluation or a Department approved form.

  (a) A health inventory shall obtain at least the employee's history of the following:

  (i) conditions that may predispose the employee to acquiring or transmitting infectious diseases; and

  (ii) conditions that may prevent the employee from performing certain assigned duties satisfactorily.

  (b) The facility shall develop employee health screening and immunization components of the personnel health program.

  (c) Employee skin testing by the Mantoux Method or other FDA approved in-vitro serologic test and follow up for tuberculosis shall be done in accordance with R388-804, Special Measures for the Control of Tuberculosis.

  (i) The licensee shall ensure that all employees are skin-tested for tuberculosis within two weeks of:

  (A) initial hiring;

  (B) suspected exposure to a person with active tuberculosis; and

  (C) development of symptoms of tuberculosis.

  (ii) Skin testing shall be exempted for all employees with known positive reaction to skin tests.

  (d) All infections and communicable diseases reportable by law shall be reported to the local health department in accordance with the Communicable Disease Rule, R386-702-3.

  (14) The facility shall develop and implement policies and procedures governing an infection control program to protect residents, family and personnel; which includes appropriate task related employee infection control procedures and practices.

  (15) The facility shall comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Blood-borne Pathogen Standard.