Caregiver Requirements for Social Security Recipients in Oregon

Oregon regulates its senior caregivers with the hope that whether a person is in a facility or receives care at home, he receives quality care. The state pays caregivers and requires them to meet standards and qualifications to give the proper care. Requirements include understanding confidentiality rules, attending orientation sessions and following their assigned service plan and task list.

Homecare Worker Enrollment Standards

• An Oregon homecare worker (HCW) must enroll in the state's Client-Employer Provider (CEP) program, which is under the authority of the Seniors and People with Disabilities Division of the Department of Human Services. An HCW may be fired by the DHS for not meeting standards set by the Oregon Homecare Commission, even if she is hired by the person receiving the care.

  Enrollment requirements include maintaining a drug-free work environment, cooperating in a criminal history check every other year, being 18 years or older, being legally authorized to work in the United States, and having the skills and knowledge to complete the required tasks to care for the client. There is also a mandatory orientation and application packet the HCW must complete.

Confidentiality Rules

• A caregiver is legally bound not to discuss any personal information regarding her client with anyone but the case manager or other office representatives of the Seniors and People with Disabilities Division or the area agency on aging. All HCWs sign a confidentiality contract and can face legal and punitive consequences for revealing private information.

  Information considered confidential includes the client's status as a recipient of state aid; any of the client's inabilities, such as to walk, dress or eat; any financial information, including property, types of income or financial activity; medical or health information, such as diagnoses, status, cognitive skills, mental or emotional conditions or lab results. The confidentiality rules also cover religious and relationship information.

Homecare Worker Orientation

• Within 30 days of being hired, an HCW must complete the mandatory orientation, provided at the local Seniors and People with Disabilities Division office or area agency on aging. The orientation covers disease prevention, abuse and neglect, and caregiver payment rules.

  In areas without local orientations, a caregiver has 90 days for completion. If the HCW does not complete orientation in that time, the enrollment is inactivated and he will not be able to work or be paid by the state as a care provider. In addition to orientation, caregiver training is available through the Home Care Commission.

The Service Plan and Task List

• HCWs must have a service plan and task list completed with the cooperation of the case manager and client-employer. These documents describe the required services by the caregiver, for which the state or local aging agency will pay.

  The service plan details the amount of time needed for tasks and the task list gives the instructions for the tasks. For example, the service plan may authorize a set number of hours for housekeeping, while the task list specifies things like, dusting, mopping and vacuuming. The state does not pay the HCW for tasks like bathing a pet, which is not likely to be on the task list.