Home health organizations are encountering an increasing number of regulations aimed at protecting patients. Determining the necessary compliance training and ensuring your staff stays ahead of these requirements can be complex without comprehensive home health training.

Since home health settings are very different from other healthcare settings, selecting courses designed for the unique challenges that can be encountered is important. Plus, reducing the time spent training and offering on-the-go courses is especially helpful for home health. When one course meets multiple requirements, staff can spend less time in training and more time caring for patients. 

In this article, we’ll explore the requirements for home health training and ideas for simplifying its delivery.

Importance of Home Health Training

Home health staff must complete compliance training like all healthcare professionals to provide safe, legal, and ethical services. Topics include laws and regulations related to patient privacy, how to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, correctly manage medications, and ensure the physical safety of both the patient and home health aides.

Many regulatory agencies require compliance training and it is one of the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) seven components of compliance in healthcare. But beyond that, it enables staff to provide the highest quality of care and patient safety. Well-trained staff are more competent, improving resident care and satisfaction.

It also helps to reduce the risk of accidents, errors, and violations that can lead to lawsuits or harm the organization’s reputation. Regular compliance training allows home health organizations to update staff on the latest best practices, technologies, and regulatory changes. This ongoing learning culture promotes continuous improvement in care quality and operational efficiency.

Home Health Compliance Training Requirements

There isn’t a universal list of training requirements for all home health employees. Training requirements vary by employee role and specific healthcare setting.

Download the Ultimate List of Training Requirements for Home Health to see a full list of federal training requirements broken down by role, with the applicable standard and frequency. 

Below are courses common to home health facility roles that meet federal requirements for orientation or annual continuing education. Staff should review the requirements for their specific state to remain in compliance.

Required Training

  • Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
  • Fire Safety and Fire Extinguisher Types
  • Evacuating Patients
  • Basic & Advanced Life Support
  • Preparing for and Handling Emergencies
  • Elements of Your Organization’s QAPI Program
  • Patient Rights
  • Reducing the Use of Restraints
  • Clinical Roles: Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP)
  • Clinical Roles: Preventing Needlesticks
  • Clinical Roles: N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirator

Highly Recommended Training

  • Handling Hazardous Substances
  • Preventing Slips, Trips, Falls, and Work Clutter
  • Active Shooter Training
  • Unlawful Harassment for Employees (or Managers)
  • Cultural Competency and/or Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
  • Antibiotic Stewardship in Long-Term Care
  • Transmission-Based Precautions
  • Understanding Power of Attorney
  • Minor Sensitive Services
  • Introduction to Medications

Recommended Training

  • Cybersecurity & HIPAA
  • General Safety Orientation
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
  • Healthcare Fraud and Abuse Prevention
  • Infection Control and Prevention
  • End-of-life Care
  • Palliative Care

Please note: This is not a comprehensive list and should not be considered legal or medical advice.

Simplify Delivery of Home Health Training

Compliance training is foundational in maintaining high standards of care, safety, and legal compliance in home health. However, meeting industry requirements is not as easy as it sounds!

In-person training and paper sign-in sheets are time-consuming and error-prone. Cobbling online courses from many sources gets the job done, but it’s difficult for surveyors to track. A learning management system not built for healthcare may not have the specific courses required for your organization. 

What you need is an online learning management system built for healthcare. Here’s what to look for:

  • Healthcare-specific courses that are consistently updated
  • Vendor knowledge about healthcare regulations and policy-making
  • Courses that are designed to meet multiple standards to reduce the load
  • Customizable reporting that can be set up for your regulatory or accreditation requirements
  • Automated course completion reminders
  • Ability to create or upload facility-specific courses

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Simplify compliance training with MedTrainer Learning

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MedTrainer offers an all-in-one compliance solution that combines learning, compliance documentation, and credentialing. Experts will help your organization ensure home health training is complete and compliant. Learn more about MedTrainer.