Regulation .63 Paid Feeding Assistants.
Regulation .63 Paid Feeding Assistants.LinkCopy Citation
A.
A facility may use a paid feeding assistant who has successfully completed a State-approved training course as described in §E of this regulation.
B.
Supervision.
(1)
A paid feeding assistant shall work under the supervision of a licensed nurse.
(2)
In an emergency, when the resident is fed in the resident's room, a paid feeding assistant shall use the resident call system to call a supervisory nurse for help.
C.
A nursing home that uses a paid feeding assistant shall ensure that the paid feeding assistant feeds only residents who do not have complicated feeding conditions including, but not limited to:
(1)
Difficulty swallowing;
(2)
Choking;
(3)
Recurrent lung aspiration; or
(4)
Tube or parenteral intravenous feedings.
D.
Protocol. The nursing home shall develop a protocol for selecting residents who are appropriate for feeding by a paid feeding assistant. The nursing home shall select eligible residents based on the:
(1)
Charge nurse's current assessment of the resident;
(2)
The resident's latest Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment; and
(3)
The resident's plan of care.
E.
State-Approved Training. A State-approved training course for paid feeding assistants shall consist of at least 8 hours of training that includes:
(1)
Feeding techniques;
(2)
Assistance with feeding and hydration;
(3)
Communication and interpersonal skills;
(4)
Appropriate responses to resident behavior;
(5)
Safety and emergency procedures, including the Heimlich maneuver;
(6)
Infection control;
(7)
Resident rights;
(8)
Recognizing changes in a resident's behavior that are inconsistent with the resident's normal behavior and the importance of reporting these changes to a supervisory nurse; and
(9)
Successful completion of a two-part test that includes a:
(a)
Written test with a passing score of 80 percent; and
(b)
Demonstration of proper feeding skills performed on a resident while being observed.
F.
The feeding assistant training may be taught by a:
(1)
Registered nurse and supplementary professional instructors;
(2)
Licensed dietitian-nutritionist;
(3)
Licensed physical therapist;
(4)
Licensed speech therapist; or
(5)
Licensed occupational therapist.
G.
The facility shall maintain a record of all paid feeding assistants who have successfully completed a feeding assistance course.