"AAA" refers to the local area agency on aging office.

"ALJ" refers to administrative law judge.

"Authority" means the home care quality authority.

"Consumer/employer" refers to an adult or child with functional or developmental disabilities who qualifies for and uses personal care or respite care paid for through medicaid or state only funds.

"Consumer representative" refers to an individual who is acting on behalf of the consumer/employer.

"DSHS" refers to the department of social and health services.

"Emergency" provider means an individual provider who is employed as a back-up for a provider who did not show up or who was unable to work due to unexpected circumstances.

"Employer" refers to the consumer.

"HCQA" refers to the home care quality authority.

"Individual provider" means a person, regardless of relationship, including a personal aide working for a consumer under self-directed care, who has a contract with the department of social and health services to provide personal care or respite care services to adults or children with functional or developmental disabilities and is reimbursed for those services through medicaid or state only funding.

"IP" refers to an individual provider.

"Malfeasance" means any unlawful act committed by the provider, whether in the course of employment or otherwise.

"Mandatory reporter" is an employee of the authority; DSHS; law enforcement officer; social worker; professional school personnel; individual provider; an employee of a facility; an operator of a facility; an employee of a social service, welfare, mental health, adult day health, adult day care, home health, home care, or hospice agency; county coroner or medical examiner; Christian Science practitioner; or health care provider subject to chapter 18.130 RCW.

"Misfeasance" means performance of a workplace duty in an improper manner; including events which jeopardize the health and safety of persons, unresolved pattern of performance, issues related to truth or dishonesty, including failure to report a criminal conviction.

"OAH" refers to the office of administrative hearings.

"Prospective individual provider" refers to someone who is seeking employment with a consumer/employer.

"Provider" means an individual provider.

"Referral registry" is a database that is designed to assist consumers with finding individual providers and to assist individual providers to find employment.

"Respite" provider means an individual provider who is employed on a prearranged short-term basis to fill in for a routine caregiver.

"Routine" provider means an individual provider who is employed on a regularly scheduled basis.