WSR 16-17-100
PERMANENT RULES
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
[Filed August 18, 2016, 5:00 p.m., effective September 18, 2016]
Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
Purpose: WAC 246-980-140 Scope of practice for long-term care workers, amended to allow home care aides to provide skills acquisition training to elderly and vulnerable clients to align with the department of social and health services' plan to receive an enhanced medicaid reimbursement rate. This final rule replaces emergency rules filed June 23, 2016, WSR 16-14-007.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 246-980-140.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 18.88B.021.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 16-10-110 on May 4, 2016.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: August 18, 2016.
Kristin Peterson, JD
Government Relations Director
for John Wiesman, DrPH, MPH
Secretary
AMENDATORY SECTION (Amending WSR 13-19-087, filed 9/18/13, effective 10/19/13)
WAC 246-980-140 Scope of practice for long-term care workers.
(1) A long-term care worker performs activities of daily living or activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living. A person performing only instrumental activities of daily living is not acting under the long-term care worker scope of practice.
(a) "Activities of daily living" means self-care abilities related to personal care such as bathing, eating, using the toilet, dressing, and transfer. This may include fall prevention, skin and body care.
(b) "Instrumental activities of daily living" means activities in the home and community including cooking, shopping, house cleaning, doing laundry, working, and managing personal finances.
(2) A long-term care worker documents observations and tasks completed, as well as communicates observations on the day they were performed to clients, family, supervisors, and, if appropriate, health care providers.
(3) A long-term care worker may perform medication assistance as described in chapter 246-888 WAC.
(4) A long-term care worker may perform nurse delegated tasks, to include medication administration, if he or she meets and follows the requirements in WAC 246-980-130.
(5) A long-term care worker may provide skills acquisition training on instrumental activities of daily living and the following activities of daily living tasks: Dressing, application of deodorant, washing hands and face, hair washing, hair combing and styling, application of makeup, menses care, shaving with an electric razor, tooth brushing or denture care, and bathing tasks excluding any transfers in or out of the bathing area.