Amarillo1963

Medicare/CMS will not pay for just the HHA to see the patient. If a nurse is going out there must be a skilled need. I would not recertify just for the HHA

If you fill in an OASIS you are the one that they will come too and ask for more information--why did you recertify? what is the skilled need? You will bear some responsibility because of your license--ignorance is not bliss in this instance

McKesson is cumbersome and has to be built by your agency--you literally get nothing but the shell. I would recommend finding out what your local hospital uses. My current agency will start using EPIC in late 2017/2018--I should mention the doctor's offices and the hospitals in the area use EPIC.

You need a social worker and your entire team....HH nursing is a team experience...remember a HHA floor is really big and covers A LOT of territory....

I should also add to my previous note that the HHA HAS to have a nursing or therapists supervisory visit every 14 days. This is not every two weeks, but every 14 days. Say you did a Monday HHA supervisory visit and you waited 14 days the next HHA supervisory visit would have to be done on a Sunday. My agency recommends HHA supervisory visits every week and that therapists be delegated in a note by nursing to also do the supervisory visits. Remember the nurse is in charge of supervising the HHA as long as the nurse is seeing the patient. HHA is part of the CMS rules of participation

As artsmom stated you CANNOT do a recertification just for the HHA. Is there another skill in seeing the patient...Physical therapy, Occupational therapy, and or speech therapy? If there is then they can take over supervision of the HHA and do the recertification themselves. Nursing cannot continue to the patient if there is no nursing skill. Finally as to the language/race/cultural question, does the nurse going out to see the patient speak the same language as the patient, and if she does speak the same language are they certified as a medical interpreter. Finally if they don't speak the language do they have a video, telephone or in person interpreter available? CMS requires that one be provided at the agency's expense. I also know that some smaller Home Health Agency's specialize in race, culture, or language. I know of at least three in my area--they specialize in meeting the needs of specific elderly populations.