Homecare Worker Orientation

(Local office name)

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Community based services

Oregon’s long term care services philosophy:

Dignity Choice Independence

This program allows people to stay in their homes. YOU are an important part of making that happen!!

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Oregon Home Care Commission

The Home Care Commission has four major responsibilities:

To define the qualifications of homecare workers (HCWs).

To create a statewide registry of homecare workers;

To provide training opportunities for homecare workers;

To serve as the “employer of record” for purposes of collective bargaining for homecare workers whose pay comes from public funds.

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SEIU – Local 503

SEIU Union, Local 503 Represents the homecare workers paid

through APD.

You will find a SEIU homecare worker bulletin board in your local office.

For more information call1-800-452-2146 or

Member Resource Center: 1-877-451-0002Website: www.seiu503.org

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To enroll as a homecare worker you must:

Have an approved criminal background check

Maintain a drug-free workplace

Have a legal name that matches your tax ID/SSN

Be 18 and authorized to work legally in the US

Have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the job 5

Who is your employer? The person you work for is your EMPLOYER. Your

employer is NOT your client. Having a client implies that you provide

direction. Having an employer means that he or she

directs you. The people receiving services in the in-home

program have free choice in managing their lives and making decisions about the services that they receive and who provides them.

Your employer makes decisions on hiring and firing homecare workers.

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Homecare workers have a unique relationship

Your application and payment records are processed and approved by a local office of the State’s Aging & People with Disabilities or Area Agency on Aging.

You are employed by the person receiving services.

Your payment is processed and mailed by the State of Oregon.

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Types of homecare workers

You may be

Active/approved to work.

Restricted to providing services to one or more consumer employers.

You may work as: Hourly Live-in Relief live-in Substitute

hourly Short notice

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Job Responsibilities and Expectations

How does the homecare worker fit into the plan?

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In-home services1. Eligibility for In-Home Services is determined by a

case manager.

2. Individuals will receive assessed hours for Activities of Daily Living (ADL), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), health-related tasks, and 24-hour availability, based on their needs.

3. An In-Home Service Plan is developed.4. A Task List is generated.

You will receive the task list from your employer and/or from the case manager.

5. A Notice of Authorized Hours and Services will be sent by the local office.

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The task list is your job description.

The Task List tells you what you can be paid to do. WHAT is on the list is determined by the

case manager and employer depending on what is needed and what is allowable in the program.

HOW the tasks are done is determined by the employer.

Make sure you understand what services you are authorized to provide.

Review the task list with your employer.

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The Task List

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Task List Page 2

Unauthorized services areservices that are not payable with Medicaidfunds.

These include but are not limited to: Social outings Yard work Pet care Moving or relocating the consumer/employer Caring for the employer’s children or

grandchildren Services that benefit the entire household Providing assistance in a hospital or facility

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Employer/employeerelationshipPeople enrolled in the in-home program direct

the services that they receive. Discuss any changes in conditions, tasks,

work concerns, etc., with your employer and suggest that he or she talk to the case manager and possibly the physician.

If you are still concerned, you should also report your concerns and observations to the case manager.

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As a HCW, you are part of a team…

led by the person receiving the services (your employer), and may include;

other paid or unpaid providers family or friends the case manager the local APD/AAA office a community long-term care nurse

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Professional behavior

Best practices: Set and keep boundaries.

Keep accurate records of time worked.

Respect your employer’s beliefs, wishes, customs, and privacy.

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Financial activities

If shopping or handling your employer’s money, keep receipts and accurate records.

Professional behavior

Best practices:

Wear clean, neat clothing and be fragrance-free.

Maintain a drug-free workplace.

Maintain confidentiality.

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Confidentiality

You must keep consumer/employer information confidential, such as:

Name, address, phone number

Medical condition Whether the person is on Medicaid

or other state services

Financial information

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Tips on keeping things confidentialDo not let anyone but your employer see your

voucher. If someone else is delivering it to the office, put it in a sealed envelope.

Do not give your employer’s name as a reference or use on a rental or loan application unless they have given you permission to do so.

If using a pay stub as proof of employment, black out the employer’s name.

Do not talk about your employer to his/her family members – or to yours.

Do not share medical information about the employer with a landlord.

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More on professional behavior Best practices:

Do not discuss your personal problems with your employer.

Do not work for someone other than the person authorized.

Do not eat their food. Do not accept gifts from your employer or

give gifts to them. Do not bring your friends, relatives

(including children), or pets to the employer’s home.

Do not borrow items belonging to your employer.

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Adult Protective Services It is important to

recognize forms of abuse and exploitation to elderly and disabled persons and report it to Adult Protective Services.

This includes: Physical mistreatment Financial exploitation

or theft Psychological/

emotional harassment Physical or chemical

restraint Involuntary seclusion Sexual abuse Neglect Self neglect Abandonment

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Local APS Phone Number:

(XXX) XXX-XXXX

Process to Become a Homecare Worker and

Find Work

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Application and enrollment process

To get started, you’ll need to complete a:

Homecare Worker Application

Provider Enrollment form

Criminal History Request Form

I-9 W-4 Confidentiality form Direct Deposit form

(optional)

To receive a provider number you must:

Pass the criminal background check

Turn in all requested forms

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Getting referrals

The Oregon Home Care Commission (OHCC) maintains a Registry and Referral System (RRS).

If you are a approved to work and available for referral, your name may appear on a matched list (with your permission) to employers looking for a provider. (Permission is authorized by the homecare worker on the HCW Application in the Registry.)

It is important to keep your registry profile up-to-date every 30 days or you will not be referred for work.

Indicate your availability in the Registry once you obtain a new job.

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To find the RRS, type “www.or-hcc.org” in the address field of your internet browser

www.or-hcc.org

Select: Senior and Adults with Physical DisabilitiesSenior and Adults with Physical Disabilities

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If you forget your log in: call 1-877-867-0077 extension 1

HCW training opportunities

The Oregon Home Care Commission offers statewide training opportunities. These classes will help you:

Obtain skills and knowledge to provide quality services.

Add to your resume and be more valuable to your employer(s).

Meet and learn from other workers. Improve your communication skills. Learn ways to reduce risks of injury. Provide person-centered services.

HCW training . . .

And… If you are actively working, you may be

paid for your time. After attending training, you may qualify to

attend a paid CPR/First Aid class. You will meet training requirements to be

referred on the Registry.

To receive a training newsletter, contact the Home Care Commission or

visit the OHCC website.

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Continuing education

In order to be referred on the RRS, you must take four (4) OHCC training classes per year.

Any Oregon Home Care Commission class counts towards the training class requirement except for MoneyWise.

You have one year from receiving your provider number to complete these classes.

At least one of the classes every two years must be a safety class.

Safety classes are: Preventing Disease Transmission (PDT), Protect Against Sprains and Strains (PASS), and Taking Responsibility in Personal Safety (TRIPS).

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Professional development recognition

Homecare workers who have attended safety, core, and skills trainings can apply for a recognition pin or key chain from the Oregon Home Care Commission.

Workers with Professional Development Recognition are marked on the Registry.

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Interviewing

If you are a homecare worker, you may interview for employment.

A few pointers: Ask questions

about what is expected.

Talk about your skills and why you work in homecare.

Look and act professional.

Evaluate each job and determine if it’s right for you.

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Before starting a job

Apply for and receive an active provider number.

Confirm that the local case manager has authorized you to work.

Clarify the hours you have been authorized to work and how many hours have been allotted for each task.

Hours authorized and allotted are found on the voucher and task list.

Request a copy of the task list from your employer or the case manager.

Notify the local office whenever you take or leave a job.

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Let’s talk about…What to do if you are

sick or will be late to work

You are injured and unable to work

You wish to end a work relationship

You want to change your hours or schedule

Contact your Contact your employer in employer in each situation.each situation.

You may also You may also contact the contact the case manager case manager or another or another individual at individual at the local the local office.office.

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Safety

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Working safely Work with your employer to create and maintain

a safe working environment.

Follow safe practices to avoid injury to yourself or your employer.

Take precautions to avoid the spread of germs and diseases at all times.

Attend safety training classes.

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Use standard precautions

Germs are most often transmitted through body fluids (blood, vomit, urine, saliva).

Decrease the transmission of germs by ALWAYS using gloves or masks.

Use standard precautions with everyone, not just people who you suspect have germs or diseases.

See the HCW Safety Manual and the Self-Study Course on Infection Control for more information.

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Handwashing is the best way to avoid spreading germs

Always wash your hands: After you arrive at the employer’s

home. Before you prepare food. Before and after assisting with meals. After you go to the bathroom. Before and after you assist your

employer to the bathroom. Before you leave your employer’s home.

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Your employer’s health plan may pay for gloves needed for personal care. You can also get some from the local office so that you are never without gloves.

Wearing work and cleaning gloves is also important. You’ll need to provide those yourself.

Wearing gloves

Payment and Benefits

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Provider Termination

The state can terminate your provider number for certain conduct. For example:

Taking or borrowing money or items belonging to your employer.

Telling something that is confidential – even to someone you think you can trust.

Being intoxicated while working. Neglecting your employer’s service needs. Claiming hours not worked. Forging a signature or falsifying payment

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Payment Information Tracking your time.

You can get paid once or twice each month.

Tracking your mileage, if applicable. Completing the voucher:

Fill out and sign in ink. Always complete BEFORE the

employer signs it. Turn it in AFTER you have worked

your last shift. Do not sign the voucher for your

employer or on behalf of your employer.44

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When you get paid…

You will receive a Remittance Advice.

Check the remittance advice carefully to make sure it is accurate.

Always read any messages at the bottom of the remittance.

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More payment issues

Tax withholding

Direct deposit

Unemployment For purposes of unemployment, the

State of Oregon represents the employer.

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Earning paid leave

Hourly Providers. On February 1 and July 1 of each year, homecare workers who worked 80 authorized hours and were paid hours in any of the three (3) months immediately before each of those dates, earn 16 hours of paid time off.

Live-In Providers. Live-in providers earn one (1) paid day (24 hours) for every month of work up to a maximum of 144 hours.

If not a seven (7)-day live-in, paid leave is pro-rated.

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Taking paid leave

Work with your employer to find times for paid leave that works for both of you.

Give as much notice as you can. Hourly workers must take leave in four

(4)-hour blocks, or no less than the normally scheduled work hours.

Live-in workers must take either 24 hours or blocks of up to 12 hours.

It is not the homecare worker’s responsibility to find a replacement.

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Taking paid leave continued . . .

Unused paid leave as of January 31 is cashed out.

Live-in providers only receive one-half of the cash-out value.

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Other Things You Should Know

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Workers’ Compensation

When doing work assigned on your task list, you have Workers’ Compensation insurance.

Report any task related work injury immediately to1-888-365-0001 or 503-378-3099 (Salem).

If you seek medical treatment for your work injury, fill out a Form 827 and ask physician to fax it to SAIF at 1-800-475-7785.

Important:Important: Filing a claim does not automatically qualify your injury for

Workers' Compensation benefits.

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Health insurance coverage

You may be eligible for health insurance through the SEIU Homecare Worker Trust.

For information call 1-866-364-4822.

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