Nursing homes in need of more direct-care workers to help combat the spread of COVID-19 within their facilities have received a boost from federal regulators.
In March, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services temporarily waived a rule that says new aides cannot work longer than four months without becoming certified. The waiver is set to remain in place through the end of the emergency declaration.
“Allowing certified nurse aides to work for over four months with [only] competency assessments, help[s] providers focus on caregiving rather than paperwork, and provides much-needed support to a workforce under tremendous strain due to this crisis,” Janine Finck-Boyle, vice president of regulatory affairs for LeadingAge, told McKnight’s.
The agency noted that facilities still will have to ensure that aides are competent to provide nursing-related services. It also still is requiring operators to ensure that nurse aides are able to demonstrate competency in skills and techniques necessary for residents’ needs.
To help skilled nursing facilities with the influx of temporary healthcare workers, the American Health Care Association has developed a temporary nurse-aide training and competency checklist, and has provided a training course for new aides.
