Home Care Aide Certification
and 75 Hour Training
Overview
Revised March 2022
Information Contained in this Overview:
2
• Long-Term Care Worker and Home Care Aide
definitions.
• Home Care Aide certification requirements.
• Certification checklist.
• What classes make up the 75 hour training.
• 75 hour Home Care Aide certification training
exemptions.
• Training and certification requirements for newly
hired non-credentialed long-term care workers.
• Additional training requirements.
Long-Term Care Worker and Home
Care Aide Definitions
3
Long-Term Care Workers
All persons who provide paid, personal care services for the elderly or persons with disabilities,
including but not limited to the following:
• Individual Providers paid to provide in-home care services to DSHS clients.
• Direct care workers employed by home care agencies.
• Providers of home care services to persons with developmental disabilities under Title 71A RCW.
• All direct care workers in state-licensed assisted living facilities, adult family homes, as well as
respite care providers, and community residential service providers.
• Any other direct care staff who provide home or community-based services to the elderly or
persons with functional disabilities or developmental disabilities.
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Home Care Aides
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A Home Care Aide is a professional
credential issued by the Department of
Health (DOH). All newly hired long-
term care workers who do not have
another professional credential or
meet specific exemptions are required
to become a certified Home Care Aide.
WAC links for Home Care
Aides:
Who is required to complete
the seventy-hour long-term
care worker basic training and
by when?
Who is required to obtain
home care aide certification
and by when?
For information about exemptions see slide 12
Requirements for Home Care Aide
Certification
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You must complete all training within 120 calendar days of the date of hire. The deadline to
become certified as a home care aide is 200 days from date of hire. If you do not meet these time
frames, you are no longer eligible to provide care. You must stop working until you receive a home
care aide certification.
1. Complete the fingerprint-based background check.
2. Submit a completed home care aide application to the Department of Health, including the
Employment Verification form, within 14 days of hire.
3. Complete the 75-hour long-term care worker basic training.
4. Pass the Prometric Knowledge and Skills Certification Exam
What Classes Make up the 75 Hour
Training
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75 Hour Training Breakdown
Orientation Training: 2 hours of introductory information orienting new workers to the
care setting and job.
Safety Training: 3 hours of introductory information on safety practices.
Basic Training: 70 hours of training that combines:
• Core basic training – Training covering the basic skills and information needed to provide
hands on care.
• Population specific training – Training on topics unique to the care needs of the
population served.
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10
Home Care Aide
Training
75 Hours
Hands-on Skills
Practice
16 Hours
Fundamentals of
Caregiving &
Enhancements
38 Hours
Orientation &
Safety
5 Hours
Population Specific
16 Hours
Core Basic
Training
75 hour Home Care Aide Certification
Training Exemptions
11
Who is exempt from the 75 Hour Training and Certified HCA
requirement?
• RNs, LPNs, NACs, nurse technicians, or advanced
registered nurse practitioners.
• Persons with special education training and
endorsement granted by the Superintendent of
Public Instruction (OSPI).
• A Long-Term Care Worker who worked in
Washington State between January 1, 2011-
January 6, 2012 and completed all basic training
requirements in effect at the time.
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For more exemption information please see WAC 388-112A-0090
Summary of Training and Certification Requirements for
Newly Hired Non-credentialed Long Term Care Workers.
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Training Hours Timeline
Orientation
2
Must be completed prior to providing direct care.
Safety Training
3
70 hour Basic Training
Core Basic + Population Specific
70
Basic training covers the core competencies and skills that
long-term care workers need to provide personal care
services efficiently and safely. The training also includes
hours devoted to student practice and demonstration of
skills.
Population specific training is training on topics unique to
the care needs of the population that the facility or provider
serves. You must complete all training within 120 calendar
days of the date of hire. The deadline to become certified as
a home care aide is 200 days from date of hire.
Dementia Specialty
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Specialty training can be used as the population specific
component of the 70 hour basic training.
Specialty training utilizes DSHS curricula that provides basic
core knowledge and skills to provide care effectively and
safely to residents living with mental illness, dementia, or
developmental disabilities.
Mental Health Specialty
8
Developmental Disability Specialty
16
Additional Training Requirements
14
Training Hours Timeline
Nurse Delegation Core 9
Nurse delegation core training
is required before certified or
registered nursing assistants or
certified home care aides may
be delegated a nursing task.
Nurse Delegation Diabetes 3
Nurse delegation diabetes
training is the required training
for certified or registered
nursing assistants or certified
home care aides, who will be
delegated the task of insulin
injection.
Continuing Education 12 Annually
CE is due by birthday each year
beginning one year after home
care aide certification.
