solution to frontline staffing shortages: resident care
TRANSCRIPT
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Solution to Frontline Staffing Shortages:
Resident Care Assistants (RCAs)
June 4, 2020
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Jennifer James
Undersecretary, Executive Office of Labor and
Workforce Development
Patricia Yu
Senior Director of Healthcare Workforce Policy,
Executive Office of Health & Human Services
Adam Berman
President & CEO, Legacy Lifecare
Tara Gregorio
President, Massachusetts Senior Care Association
Presenters for Today’s Webinar
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Agenda
• Demand for CNAs
• Innovations
• RCA to CNA pathway
• Role of RCA
• Providers’ Experience
• State Recruitment
• Action Steps
• Q&A
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Expecting a shortage of ~10K direct care workers by
2024, with majority of shortages in home care; group to
focus on HHAs, PCAs, and CNAs
Source: EOLWD LMI data, BLS, Data Driven Advocacy to Address Home Care Aide Policy, HCAC 2018 2. http://lmi2.detma.org/Lmi/LTOccprojections.asp,
Causes of the labor
shortage
HC Shortages Pre-COVID
HC Shortages Post COVID
FACILITY DEMAND
LTC portal activity below shows that
industry wide demand far outweighs the
availability of CNAs.
• Facility Demand for CNAs (Apr-Jun) 9120
positions
• Worker Intake for CNAs (Apr-Jun) 241
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Workforce Innovations
• “Team-Based” Care
• Embracing Innovation and Change
• EOHHS Funding Intended to Address Workforce
Shortages
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Resident Care Assistants (RCA)
Resident Care Assistants - support existing nursing staff
& assist with resident care
RCAs also known as:
• Temporary Nurse Aide
• Trained Nursing Assistant
• Hospitality Aide
• Unit Assistant
• Personal Care Assistant
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Resident Care
Assistant
Job Applicants
RCAs Can Provide Immediate Staffing Support
Work Ready
Training online and in-person skills training
Meet
Immediate
Staffing Needs
through hiring
RCAs
Skills Competency
Checklist
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From 6/4/20 to 6/19/20
Enter Free Code: MASSHERO1
RCA Online Training
https://nurseaide.nextstep.careers
www.TempNurseAide.com
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Resident Care
Assistant
Grow Your Own CNA Workforce
Creating a
CNA Pipeline
Facility-Sponsored
Online CNA Training
CNA
Paid Clinical
Rotation at your
Facility
After 6-8 weeks, enroll
them into a CNA
training course
RCA to CNA Pathway
Recruit RCA-entry level with brief online training and on the job training
RCA- 6-8 weeks in this role before advancing to a CNA career pathway
Enroll into a CNA training course
Paid CNA clinical rotation at your facility
Retain CNAs
Online CNA Training
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Recent State Updates
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CMS/DPH issued guidance
MassHealth supplemental payment and state bonus
HPPD reporting
Role & Job description
RCA
RCA Role and Job Description
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https://covid19ltc.umassmed.edu/Home/Intake/
Resident Care Assistant
Reports to: Registered/Licensed Nursing Personnel, Nursing Supervisor
Department: Nursing
Effective Date: TBD
Position Summary
The Resident Care Assistant (RCA) works under the direction and supervision of
the healthcare team by providing direct and indirect resident care, such as
cleaning, moving residents, assists with personal care and feeding, and doing
clerical duties. This rewarding, entry-level opportunity offers support to long-term
care residents and individuals with disabilities during this crisis and beyond. The
RCA serve shoulder-to-shoulder with health care worker heroes and gain training
and experience on the job. RCA receive on-the-job experience that can lead to
becoming Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs) or Home Health Aides (HHAs).
HPPD Reporting
Nursing
Hours per
Resident Day
Enter the number of productive
hours worked by RCAs, CNAs, RNs,
and LPNs, as well as other staff
serving in those roles, with direct
patient care responsibilities on per
patient day basis
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Training and Supervision of Temp Nurse Aide
and Feeding Assistants
DPH Memorandum
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• To assist in addressing potential staffing shortages, CMS has waived the
section of its regulations that prohibits a nursing home from employing anyone
as a nurse aide for longer than four months unless the aide has met the
training and certification requirements at 42 CFR 483.35(d).
• Available options include, but are not limited to, online introductory training.
These programs do not substitute for in-person skills and techniques
competency demonstration, but may be used in conjunction with a live skills
assessment.
• Regardless of the type of training provided by a nursing home, and method
used to ensure competency, nursing homes must ensure that all nurse aides
receive appropriate supervision at all times.
• CMS has also modified the requirements at 42 CFR 483.60(h)(1)(i) and 42
CFR 483.160(a) regarding required training of paid feeding assistants.
Specifically, CMS has reduced its minimum training time requirement from eight
hours to one hour.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-public-health-guidance-and-directives#caregivers-
Sharing Provider Experience
Adam Berman, Legacy Lifecare
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Answers call light in a timely manner
Places all belongings within patients reach (call light, pitcher, glasses,
remote, etc.)
Serves and collect meal trays, assists during meals, sanitizes/cleans tables
after meals
Assists residents in communication involving technology (Zoom, Face
time, others)
Assists with monitoring residents in common area to maintain safety,
providing 1:1 supervision as needed
Assists residents in admission and discharge including inventory of
belongings
Gathers supplies needed for provision of care
Makes unoccupied beds
Assists residents in activity engagement of their choice and interest
Assists in assigned housekeeping tasks
Performs other indirect care duties normally assigned to CNAs as directed.
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Provider Experience:
Adam Berman, Legacy Lifecare
Resident Care Assistant: Indirect Resident Care Duties
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Resident Care Assistant: Direct Resident Care Duties
Primarily performs selected CNA tasks after training
Note: RCA will perform the following tasks below during COVID-19 pandemic,
and after the facility determines necessity to continue further with tasks
o Assist residents who are not on aspiration or swallowing risks during
meals
o Performs incontinent care in bed to residents who are able to move
in bed
o Makes occupied bed
o Provides full or partial bed bath
o Assists residents in dressing and personal hygiene
o Assists CNAs during provision of with residents requiring 2-staff
assistance except in mechanical transfer
o Assists in getting weights
Performs all other CNA tasks after training
Performs other direct care duties normally assigned to CNAs, with training, as
directed
Provider Experience:
Adam Berman, Legacy Lifecare
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Statewide Recruitment for RCAs
• Competitive Pay $20-$24 an hour
• Pro-rated $1000 signing-bonus via state’s bonus program
• Paid to complete worker ready online-training (National Temp NA course)
• Offer of facility-sponsored career path including CNA training program
• Housing may be necessary for some candidates (RCA, CNAs, LPNs, RNs). Please see
MSCA website for discounted hotel options for health care workers
Competitive Offerings Being Marketed for
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Statewide Recruitment for All Positions
www.Mass.gov/JoinCOVIDTeam
Action steps you can take today to help
with staffing shortages
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Request RCAs on the LTC Portal
https://covid19ltc.umassmed.edu/
Partnership with Monster.com on Home to Help
Senior Care Initiative
www.monster.com/hometohelp
485 RCAs ready to hire through Home to Help Initiative!
Free job postings on Monster.com
Become a CNA
Clinical Training
Placement
State Bonus Reminder
MassHealth hiring deadline is
June 12th and Worker Bonus
registration is June 19th
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https://covid19ltc.umassmed.edu/
Have your new hires register for their bonus
Questions & Answers
For Additional Questions
Please email us with questions:
• Mass Senior Care: [email protected]
• LTC Portal: [email protected]