The short answer Delaware licenses skilled home health agencies (16 Del. Admin. Code 3350), aide-only home health agencies (3351, requiring 75 hours of aide training plus 12 hours annual in-service), and non-medical personal assistance services agencies (3345), where direct care workers need agency orientation/training and must pass a competency test before providing care and annually thereafter — with no minimum hour count.
What Delaware requires
Delaware
Aide-only HHA: 75 hours. Under 16 Del. Admin. Code 3351, all newly hired aides at licensed aide-only home health agencies must complete (or show evidence of) a minimum 75 hours of training including instruction and supervised practicum; aides with a break of more than 2 years must retrain or re-demonstrate competency.
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PASA: competency-based. Under 16 Del. Admin. Code 3345, direct care workers at personal assistance services agencies must complete orientation/training on required topics (clients' rights, infection control, ADLs, home safety, etc.) and pass a competency test before serving consumers and annually thereafter — no state hour minimum is set.
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Skilled HHA licensure. Skilled home health agencies are licensed under 16 Del. Admin. Code 3350 by the DHSS Division of Health Care Quality; Medicare-certified agencies follow the federal 75-hour aide training and competency rule at 42 CFR 484.80.
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Annual in-service. Regulation 3351 requires aides to attend at least 12 hours annually of staff development (in-service programs, workshops, or conferences related to home health care or patient-specific needs).
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The federal baseline (applies in every state)
Federal
75-hour HHA training standard. Under 42 CFR 484.80(b), home health aides at Medicare-certified home health agencies must complete a training program of at least 75 hours, including at least 16 hours of classroom training completed before beginning at least 16 hours of supervised practical (hands-on) training.
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Competency evaluation / CNA pathway. 42 CFR 484.80(a) allows aides to qualify by completing the 75-hour training and competency evaluation program, by passing a competency evaluation alone, or by completing a state nurse aide training and competency evaluation program (CNA) and being in good standing on the state nurse aide registry.
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12-hour annual in-service. 42 CFR 484.80(d) requires home health aides to receive at least 12 hours of in-service training during each 12-month period, which may occur while the aide is furnishing care and must be supervised by a registered nurse.
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RN trainer requirements. Under 42 CFR 484.80(b)(3) and (c)(2), classroom and supervised practical training must be performed by or under the general supervision of a registered nurse with at least 2 years of nursing experience, at least 1 year of which must be in home health care; competency evaluations must likewise be performed by an RN in consultation with other professionals.
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Primary sources for this page
- https://regulations.delaware.gov/AdminCode/title16/Department%20of%20Health%20and%20Social%20Services/Division%20of%20Health%20Care%20Quality/3351.shtml
- https://regulations.delaware.gov/AdminCode/title16/Department%20of%20Health%20and%20Social%20Services/Division%20of%20Health%20Care%20Quality/3345.shtml
- https://regulations.delaware.gov/AdminCode/title16/Department%20of%20Health%20and%20Social%20Services/Division%20of%20Health%20Care%20Quality/3350.shtml
- https://regulations.delaware.gov/AdminCode/title16/Department%20of%20Health%20and%20Social%20Services/Division%20of%20Health%20Care%20Quality/3351.shtml
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