HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SSB 6502

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                         Health Care

Title:  An act relating to long‑term care training.

Brief Description:  Changing provisions on long‑term care training.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care (originally sponsored by Senators Winsley, Thibaudeau and Kohl‑Welles; by request of Department of Social and Health Services).

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Health Care:  2/25/00 [DP].

           Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

$Beginning March 2002 caregivers in all long-term care settings must have an orientation before employment.

$Boarding home administrators and caregivers must pass department-approved basic training.

$Adult family home providers cannot admit anyone with dementia, mental illness, or developmental disabilities until they have had specialized training.

$A steering committee for community long-term care training and education is established.

$Training materials created by the department are accessible for public distribution.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 12 members:  Representatives Cody, Democratic Co-Chair; Parlette, Republican Co-Chair; Pflug, Republican Vice Chair; Schual-Berke, Democratic Vice Chair; Alexander; Campbell; Conway; Edmonds; Edwards; Mulliken; Pennington and Ruderman.

Staff:  Antonio Sanchez (786-7383).

Background:

In recent years the number of elderly and disabled people living in adult family homes and boarding homes has grown significantly.  There are 10,000 residents living in 2,100 adult family homes, and 21,790 people living in 493 boarding homes.

It is generally recognized that residents in these facilities are more acutely ill and have more serious health care needs than in the past.  Increasingly, people with dementia and serious medical problems are living in community residential facilities instead of going as often to nursing homes.

Current law does not mandate that care givers in boarding homes have any training beyond basic first aid, CPR, and HIV infection control, unless the facility is contracted as an assisted living facility with the Department of Social and Health Services.  Care givers in adult family homes must have a fundamental training course completed within 120 days of their employment.

Summary of Bill:

Beginning March 2002 caregivers in all long-term care settings are required to have an orientation before beginning employment.  Boarding home administrators and caregivers must pass department-approved basic training within 120 days of employment.  Boarding home administrators must have specialty training if they serve residents with special needs.

Adult family home caregivers must be indirectly supervised until they get their basic training within 120 days of employment.  Adult family home providers cannot admit anyone with dementia, mental illness, or developmental disabilities until they have had specialized training.  If a resident under their care develops special needs, administrators or residents managers must complete specialized training within 120 days of diagnosis.

Training for all caregivers, in all settings, must include innovative approaches and the department must develop a system for approving training programs and trainers.

The steering committee for community long-term care training and education is established to advise the department on rules relating to training materials, competency testing, training  effectiveness, and other training matters.  Membership of the committee is described.

Continuing education requirements for all caregivers  are described.

Training materials created by the department are considered in the public domain and are accessible for public distribution.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The Long-term Care Task Force called for changes in the training system for long-term care and this measure will adopt its recommendations.  Enhanced training will increase the quality of care.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Senator Winsley, prime sponsor; Jeff Larson, Washington State Residential Care Council; Kary Hyre, Washington State Long-term Care Ombudsman; and Kathy Leitch, Department of Social and Health Services.