On April 22, HHSC issued Provider Letter 19-10 regarding Enforcement of Requirements Related to Training of Staff Who Care for Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease or Related Disorders
House Bill (HB) 2025, which was passed during the 85th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2017, required HHSC to develop rules requiring ALF, DAHS and NF providers to train facility employees who provide direct care to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders and to ensure the care and services provided to those individuals meet their needs related to their diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder. The rules became effective on October 28, 2018; however, HHSC allowed ALF, DAHS and NF providers until May 1, 2019 to develop and implement the required policies related to Alzheimer’s training. The nursing facility rules can be found at 40 TAC §19.1920(e) and the rules for an assisted living facility can be found at 40 TAC §92.43.
The provider letter reminds providers that they must have completed the development and implementation of required policies related to training staff who care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders by no later than May 1, 2019. Surveyors will cite facilities for any noncompliance identified on or after May 1, 2019.
The Provider Letter outlines the following policy details & provider responsibilities:
HSC Chapter 326 and the rules adopted under that chapter require ALF, DAHS and NF providers to:
- adopt, implement and enforce a written policy that requires a facility employee who provides direct care to an individual with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder to successfully complete training in the provision of care to such individuals.
- ensure that care and services provided to an individual with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder meets the individual’s specific, identified needs related to the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder.
During a survey or investigation, facility staff may be asked to provide the facility’s written policy and evidence that the facility is implementing the policy. The evidence must include documentation that each employee who provides direct care to an individual with Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder has successfully completed training in the provision of care to such an individual. The documentation must demonstrate that the training included the information required by the applicable rule. The evidence must also include documentation that the care and services provided meet the specific identified needs of the individual relating to the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder, as identified in the applicable care plan for the individual.