How to best use Home Health CNAs

[Cinquefoil]

Hi, working with a home health agency now. We have CNAs, but they are currently waaay underutilized. I know there are ways to keep CNAs busy & cost-effective in home health, but I suspect we have multiple issues, including:

1) Ignorance on the part of our parent organization about the referral process and what we can offer

2) Ignorance on our part about how we can get help from our CNAs and still have the visit be billable for Medicare.

Does anyone have any ideas about how we can get our CNAs in homes and billable, or how they can help reduce costs around here? Right now they're often sweeping floors and stocking our supplies, and they miss helping actual people.

Thank you,

Cinquefoil

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

This is a huge issue everywhere, and not just in home health. ADL's, range of motion, even if some of your CNA's are trained in some physical therapy aide stuff--I believe that would all be billable.

I agree, and it is sad when trained aides are having to stock and clean.

[caliotter3]

I once worked on an extended care case where the HHA was present during part of the time of my scheduled skilled nurse shift. While she was there, we assisted each other with providing ADL's or transfers and exchanged information, just as we would have in a facility. I thought the HHA presence was duplicative but, as I recall, it was private pay or was authorized by the insurance company, so we took advantage of having a second caregiver in the home.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

The only thing I can think of that a CNA would be qualified to do in Home Health is to function as a Home Health Aide. It's not like they can go in before the nurse and take VS like a CNA in the hospital or nursing home would.