Home Care Aide Certification Program Performance Audit Commences

On September 15, WHCA representatives, including Vicki McNealley and Lauri St. Ours met with the Washington State Auditor’s Office (SAO) to discuss the upcoming performance audit for home care aide certification requirements. The purpose of the meeting was to answer questions and provide information to help project managers scope the project. The audit’s goal is to determine whether the home care aide credential requirement has improved resident safety and quality of care.

Given the ongoing testing and certification backlog—and the failure to address certification barriers—the WHCA team expressed concern that delayed certification impacts resident safety by limiting access to timely care. At the same time, safety and quality in community-based settings, such as assisted living, are affected when open positions cannot be filled due to delays.

Washington’s certification requirements are among the most stringent in the nation; however, the Department of Health is unable to meet the demand for timely testing and certification, as demonstrated by the continued extension of the original 200-day timeline for completion. The deadline for certification has been extended to 365 days temporarily as the Department of Health grapples with establishing a system to move caregiver testing to training programs.

Vicki McNealley also provided an overview of challenges with the state’s new HELMS system. She highlighted barriers across each step of the process, noting that it is essential for the SAO to look at the data regarding the successful completion of applications.

If you have feedback on home care aide issues that are affecting service delivery, please reach out to Vicki McNealley. We will provide the information to SAO staff.