Workers Exempt From Basic Training

Long-term care workers exempt from Basic Training and Home Care Aide certification requirements/criteria

RCW 74.39A.009

Definitions.

(17)(a) "Long-term care workers" include all persons who provide paid, hands-on personal care services for the elderly or persons with disabilities, including but not limited to individual providers of home care services, direct care workers employed by home care agencies, providers of home care services to persons with developmental disabilities under Title 71A RCW, all direct care workers in state-licensed assisted living facilities, and adult family homes, respite care providers, direct care workers employed by community residential service businesses, and any other direct care worker providing home or community-based services to the elderly or persons with functional disabilities or developmental disabilities.

Long-Term Care Workers Exempt from Basic Training

  • Workers who have a Washington state RN, LPN, NAC, or ARNP credential that is active and in good standing.
  • Workers with a teaching certificate with a special education endorsement granted by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
  • Workers employed by community residential provider:  
    • After January1, 2016 community residential caregivers must complete 75 hours of long-term care training.
    • If working as a community residential caregiver when the training rules changed on January 1, 2016, you may be exempt from the 75-hour basic training requirements in community residential care.
    • When transferring from community residential care to another long term care setting and you have completed 75 hours of long term care basic training you can apply for testing and certification as a Home Care Aide. The 75 hours of basic training cannot be more than two years old from the date of completion to applying for certification and testing.
    • To be exempt from 75 Hours of basic training and the Home Care Aide certification requirements you must meet the standard set below for workers exempt by employment history.
  • Exempt from basic training and certification. Workers employed between 1/1/2011 and 1/6/2012 in a Washington state long-term care setting and completed all basic training requirements at that time. A caregiver may have intermittent employment and the exemption by employment history does not go away.