Patients with Alzheimer’s disease or other related disorders; staff training requirements; certain disclosures.

(1) A hospice licensed under this part must provide the following staff training:

(a) Upon beginning employment with the agency, each employee must receive basic written information about interacting with persons who have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia-related disorders.

(b) In addition to the information provided under paragraph (a), employees who are expected to, or whose responsibilities require them to, have direct contact with participants who have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia-related disorders must complete initial training of at least 1 hour within the first 3 months after beginning employment. The training must include an overview of dementias and must provide instruction in basic skills for communicating with persons who have dementia.

(c) In addition to the requirements of paragraphs (a) and (b), an employee who will be providing direct care to a participant who has Alzheimer’s disease or a dementia-related disorder must complete an additional 3 hours of training within 9 months after beginning employment. This training must include, but is not limited to, the management of problem behaviors, information about promoting the patient’s independence in activities of daily living, and instruction in skills for working with families and caregivers.

(d) For certified nursing assistants, the required 4 hours of training shall be part of the total hours of training required annually.

(e) For a health care practitioner as defined in s. 456.001, continuing education hours taken as required by that practitioner’s licensing board shall be counted toward the total of 4 hours.

(f) For an employee who is a licensed health care practitioner as defined in s. 456.001, training that is sanctioned by that practitioner’s licensing board shall be considered to be approved by the Department of Elderly Affairs.

(g) The Department of Elderly Affairs or its designee must approve the required 1-hour and 3-hour training provided to employees or direct caregivers under this section. The department must consider for approval training offered in a variety of formats. The department shall keep a list of current providers who are approved to provide the 1-hour and 3-hour training. The department shall adopt rules to establish standards for the employees who are subject to this training, for the trainers, and for the training required in this section.

(h) Upon completing any training described in this section, the employee or direct caregiver shall be issued a certificate that includes the name of the training provider, the topic covered, and the date and signature of the training provider. The certificate is evidence of completion of training in the identified topic, and the employee or direct caregiver is not required to repeat training in that topic if the employee or direct caregiver changes employment to a different hospice or to a home health agency, assisted living facility, nursing home, or adult day care center.

(2) A hospice licensed under this part which claims that it provides special care for persons who have Alzheimer’s disease or other related disorders must disclose in its advertisements or in a separate document those services that distinguish the care as being especially applicable to, or suitable for, such persons. The hospice must give a copy of all such advertisements or a copy of the document to each person who requests information about programs and services for persons with Alzheimer’s disease or other related disorders offered by the hospice and must maintain a copy of all such advertisements and documents in its records. The agency shall examine all such advertisements and documents in the hospice’s records as part of the license renewal procedure.