Homecare Agency follows a recruitment, screening, orientation, and competency evaluation process to ensure the attraction and retention of employees who possess the qualifications necessary to fulfill the job description and the culture of the agency. The Homecare Agency will obtain background screening as required.

 

1. Appropriate recruitment activities will be on-going. The Homecare Agency Administrator will direct and approve recruitment activities.

 

2. Hiring Procedures:

 

            A.        Homecare Agency will pre-screen applicants and resumes as they are received.

            B.         Qualified candidates will be interviewed by the Administrator or designee, and/or the Director of Patient Care Services.

C.        Application and authorization for criminal background check/ Family Care Registry/EDL (as appropriate to state and Federal laws) will be completed prior to interview.          

D.        Interview will be based on technical aspects of the job as well as culture of the agency. The Agency job description and competency checklist will be utilized in the interview in order to review qualifications of all duties and responsibilities.

E.         When all interviews are completed and a candidate is chosen, a minimum of 2 reference checks will be completed.

F.         All professional qualifications and experience are verified prior to the applicant’s hire.

G.        All professional licenses, certifications, or registrations, whether required by law or not, will be verified prior to the applicant’s hire.

H.        The applicant will complete the self-evaluation of the Agency Competency checklist prior to the interview.

I.          Prior to hire, each applicant will undergo the pre-employment health      requirements, which includes but is not limited to; ppd or chest x-ray, statement      of health clearance from their physician, and the establishment of whether or not they have previously received or are requesting Hepatitis B vaccinations.

Prior to contact with patients the new employee must submit a statementfrom a health care professional licensed under Chapter 458, or 459, F.S., a physician’s assistant, or an advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) or a registered nurse licensed under Chapter 464, F.S., under the supervision of a licensed physician, or acting pursuant to an established protocol signed by a licensed physician, based on an exam within the last six months, that the employee is in reasonably good health and appears to be free from apparent signs or symptoms of a communicable disease including tuberculosis, pursuant to Section 381.0011(4), F.S.   It is the responsibility of the agency to ensure that employees continue to appear to be in good health. If any employee is later found to have, or is suspected of having, a communicable disease, he shall be removed from duties until the administrator determines that such condition no longer exists.   A new employee, who has been an employee of another licensed home health agency, may provide a copy of his health care statement from the files of the former employer provided that the statement was not issued more than 2 years prior and that the employeehas not had a break in service of more than 90 days.

J.          When 2 positive references and a clear criminal background screening is obtained the Administrator will work with the Administrator and/or Human Resources to establish a fair rate of pay, based on the candidate’s experience. The Administrator or designee will then make an offer to the candidate.

K.                New employees shall be required to complete a course on human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome, with instruction to include information on current Florida law and its impact on testing, confidentiality of test results, and treatment of patients.

L.                  The appropriate supervisor of the applicant will be involved in the screening, hiring, and orientation process. It is during this time that the Agency will verify that the supervisor fully understands all care, treatment, and services that they will be supervising when the applicant is hired and oriented.

M.               For every certified nursing assistant the Homecare Agency shall have on file the person's State of Florida certification. A copy of the screen of the Florida Department of Health web site’s Certified Nursing Assistant Information that shows the person’s name, address, certificate number, original issue date, expire date and status will meet this requirement.

N.                Home health aides and CNA's must have a current CPR Card. 

O.                Home health aides who are trained in another state must provide documentation of course completion to the homecare agency. Individuals, who have graduated from an accredited school of nursing and are waiting to take their boards for licensure in Florida, can work as a home health aide. Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses who can show proof they are licensed in another state or in Florida, can work as a home health aide in Florida.

 

 

3. Background Screening:

 

A.                 Direct and contract personnel who enter the home or place of residence of patients at any time in the course of their employment need level 1 screening. However, such persons may work in a probationary capacity if they have submitted the information for the level 1 screening and have signed the Affidavit of Good Moral Character, AHCA 3110-0001. Level 1 Screening is the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Criminal History Check done either through AHCA or FDLE.    If an employee has been convicted of one of the disqualifying offenses, they must not enter a patient or clients home until they have received an exemption from the Department of Health if they are licensed (i.e. nurses, therapists, etc.) or the Background Screening Unit at AHCA Central if not licensed. Their personnel files should have a copy of this exemption, if they have received one. 

B.                 Screening is not required for administrative support staff. 

C.                 Every person employed in a position for which employment screening is required must, within 5 working days after starting to work, submit to the homecare agency a complete set of information necessary to conduct a background screening. For level 2 screening, the homecare agency must submit the information necessary for screening to the [AHCA] Florida Department of Law Enforcement within 5 working days after receiving it. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will conduct a search of its criminal and juvenile records and will request that the Federal Bureau of Investigation conduct a search of its records for each employee for whom the request is made. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement [AHCA] will respond to the employer or licensing agency, and the employer or licensing agency will inform the employee whether screening has revealed disqualifying information. The person whose background is being checked must supply any missing criminal or other necessary information to the employer within 30 days after the employer makes a request for the information or be subject to automatic disqualification.

D.                If the homecare agency provides staffing to nursing homes, any staff that has not lived in Florida for the past five years must have level 2 screening. Level 2 Screening includes fingerprinting for FDLE and FBI clearance.

E.                  When the homecare agency has reasonable cause to believe that grounds exist for the denial or termination of employment of any employee as a result of background screening, it shall notify the employee in writing, stating the specific record which indicates noncompliance with the standards in this section. It shall be the responsibility of the affected employee to contest his or her disqualification or to request exemption from disqualification. The only basis for contesting the disqualification shall be proof of mistaken identity. 

F.                  The homecare agency must either terminate the employment of any of its personnel found to be in noncompliance with the minimum standards for good moral character contained in this section or place the employee in a position for which background screening is not required unless the employee is granted an exemption from disqualification pursuant to s. 435.07. 

G.                 Any person who is required to undergo employment screening and who refuses to cooperate in such screening or refuses to submit the information necessary to complete the screening, including fingerprints when required, shall be disqualified for employment in such position or, if employed, shall be dismissed.  

H.                 Level 2 background screening pursuant to chapter 435 must be conducted through the agency on each of the following persons, who shall be considered an employee for the purposes of conducting screening under chapter 435:

(a)  The licensee, if an individual.

(b)  The administrator or a similarly titled person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the provider.

(c)  The financial officer or similarly titled individual who is responsible for the financial operation of the licensee or provider.

 

 

3. Introductory Period

A.        All hired staff, accepted students, and/or volunteers shall have an orientation to the agency and to their respective position. This orientation shall be inclusive of, but not limited to; the Agency’s mission and goals, and programs and procedures specific to each individual’s job description. The orientation will be completed within a timely manner (for students) or within (for employees and volunteers) the introductory period.

B.         An evaluation will be done on the new employee after 90 days. Student evaluations will be completed at the end of their rotation and submitted to their

clinical instructor.

C.        All staff, students, and volunteers shall be informed of any and all associated risks within the Agency, and the patient’s environment, including but not limited to job duties and responsibilities related to safety and infection control.

D.        All staff, students, and volunteers will be in-serviced according to the Agency’s mandatory training, and be able to demonstrate and describe the actions necessary to eliminate risk and report incidents. Newly hired home health agency personnel who will be providing direct care to patients must complete 2 hours of training in Alzheimer's disease and dementia-related disorders within 9 months after beginning employment with the agency. This training must include, but is not limited to, an overview of dementia, a demonstration of basic skills in communicating with persons who have dementia, the management of problem behaviors, information about promoting the client's independence in activities of daily living, and instruction in skills for working with families and caregivers.

E.         The Agency will have employees, students, and/or volunteers re-enter a

“training period” if any or all of their job responsibilities change, and it will be

documented in their respective personnel file.

 

4. Ongoing In-services

A.        The Agency will conduct ongoing inservices for all staff, students, and volunteers            that both comply with law and are appropriate to the needs of the population

            served.

B.         When necessary, the Agency will ensure that appropriate inservices and training

will incorporate methods of team training.

C.        The Agency will conduct on-going inservices for all staff, students, and volunteers to ensure their knowledge of reporting unanticipated adverse events.

D.        All ongoing inservices and training will be documented in the staff’s, student’s,

or volunteer’s personnel file.

E.                  When patient assignments change, the Agency will ensure that the subsequent

F.                  staff, students, and volunteers assigned are duly oriented to the patient’s needs

G.                 and their respective job responsibilities.

 

 

 

5. Disciplinary Process

 

A.        All employees must follow the policies and procedures of the Homecare

            agency.

B.         In the event the employee is non compliant with the policies and procedures

            of Homecare Agency, a disciplinary process will ensue.

C.        The administrator will meet with the DPS prior to any disciplinary action

            occurring.

D.        Initial counseling will be a verbal counseling, which is documented.

E.         A second incident will warrant a written counseling.

F.         A third incident will result in suspension with work plan/contract or

            termination.

G.        Incidents that may result in immediate termination include but are not limited

            to:

                        1. Drug or alcohol intoxication

                        2. Insubordination

                        3. Placing a patient in danger

                        4. Falsification of documents

H.        Administrator will approve any termination prior to meeting with employee.