DOH Extends Enforcement Discretion for Home Care In-Service Requirements

The Department of Health (DOH) issued guidance over the weekend advising home care providers that it will continue to exercise enforcement discretion when surveying providers for compliance with various in-service requirements. Such enforcement discretion will continue only for the time periods detailed as follows:

• Personal Care Aide (PCA) – DOH will continue to exercise enforcement discretion until Dec. 31, 2021.
• Home Health Aide (HHA) – DOH will continue to exercise enforcement discretion until the end of the first full quarter following the declaration of the end of the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE).
• Hospice Aide In-Service and Annual Training – DOH will recognize 1135 waivers providing flexibility on this training until the end of the federal PHE.

DOH strongly encourages employers to complete the annual and semi-annual in-service requirements for HHAs and PCAs as soon as practicable and is allowing the training to be provided remotely or online. For those agencies that are not currently conducting annual or semi-annual in-service training, DOH recommends that agencies begin planning immediately on how to execute forthcoming in-services to staff at the conclusion of the PHE.

Contact: Meg Everett, meverett@leadingageny.org, 518-929-9342