Scope of practice for long-term care workers.
(1) A long-term care worker performs activities of daily living or activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living. A person performing only instrumental activities of daily living is not acting under the long-term care worker scope of practice.
(a) "Activities of daily living" means self-care abilities related to personal care such as bathing, eating, medication assistance, using the toilet, dressing, and transfer. This may include fall prevention, skin and body care.
(b) "Instrumental activities of daily living" means activities in the home and community including cooking, shopping, house cleaning, doing laundry, working, and managing personal finances.
(2) A long-term care worker documents observations and tasks completed, as well as communicates observations.
(3) A long-term care worker may perform medication assistance as described in RCW
69.41.010.
(4) A long-term care worker may perform nurse delegated tasks, to include medication administration, if he or she meets and follows the requirements in WAC
246-980-130.
(5) A long-term care worker may provide skills acquisition training on instrumental activities of daily living and the following activities of daily living tasks: Dressing, application of deodorant, washing hands and face, hair washing, hair combing and styling, application of makeup, menses care, shaving with an electric razor, tooth brushing or denture care, and bathing tasks excluding any transfers in or out of the bathing area.
(6) This section applies to all long-term care workers, whether required to be certified or exempt.
[Statutory Authority: RCW
18.88B.021,
18.88B.031,
18.88B.041, and
18.88B.060. WSR 24-15-025, § 246-980-140, filed 7/9/24, effective 8/9/24. Statutory Authority: RCW
18.88B.021. WSR 18-20-072, § 246-980-140, filed 9/28/18, effective 10/29/18; WSR 16-17-100, § 246-980-140, filed 8/18/16, effective 9/18/16. Statutory Authority: Chapters
18.88B and
18.130 RCW, 2012 c 164, and 2013 c 259. WSR 13-19-087, § 246-980-140, filed 9/18/13, effective 10/19/13.]