Staff training and educational requirements.

(1)(a) Each new assisted living facility employee who has not previously completed core training must attend a preservice orientation provided by the facility before interacting with residents. The preservice orientation must be at least 2 hours in duration and cover topics that help the employee provide responsible care and respond to the needs of facility residents. Upon completion, the employee and the administrator of the facility must sign a statement that the employee completed the required preservice orientation. The facility must keep the signed statement in the employee’s personnel record.

(b) Each assisted living facility employee must complete the training required under s. 430.5025. However, an employee of an assisted living facility licensed as a limited mental health facility under s. 429.075 is exempt from the training requirements under s. 430.5025(4)(d).

(c) If an assisted living facility employee completes the 1-hour training required under s. 430.5025 before interacting with residents, such training may count toward the 2 hours of preservice orientation required under paragraph (a).

(2) Administrators and other assisted living facility staff must meet minimum training and education requirements established by the agency by rule. This training and education is intended to assist facilities to appropriately respond to the needs of residents, to maintain resident care and facility standards, and to meet licensure requirements.

(3) The agency, in conjunction with providers, shall develop core training requirements for administrators consisting of core training learning objectives, a competency test, and a minimum required score to indicate successful passage of the core competency test. The required core competency test must cover at least the following topics:

(a) State law and rules relating to assisted living facilities.

(b) Resident rights and identifying and reporting abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

(c) Special needs of elderly persons, persons with mental illness, and persons with developmental disabilities and how to meet those needs.

(d) Nutrition and food service, including acceptable sanitation practices for preparing, storing, and serving food.

(e) Medication management, recordkeeping, and proper techniques for assisting residents with self-administered medication.

(f) Firesafety requirements, including fire evacuation drill procedures and other emergency procedures.

(g) Care of persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders.

(4) A facility administrator must complete the required core training, including the competency test, within 90 days after the date of employment as an administrator. Failure to do so is a violation of this part and subjects the violator to an administrative fine as prescribed in s. 429.19. Administrators licensed in accordance with part II of chapter 468 are exempt from this requirement. Other licensed professionals may be exempted, as determined by the agency by rule.

(5) Administrators are required to participate in continuing education for a minimum of 12 contact hours every 2 years.

(6) Staff assisting with the self-administration of medications under s. 429.256 must complete a minimum of 6 additional hours of training provided by a registered nurse or a licensed pharmacist before providing assistance. Two hours of continuing education are required annually thereafter. The agency shall establish by rule the minimum requirements of this training.

(7) Facility staff shall participate in inservice training relevant to their job duties as specified by agency rule. Topics covered during the preservice orientation are not required to be repeated during inservice training. A single certificate of completion that covers all required inservice training topics may be issued to a participating staff member if the training is provided in a single training course.

(8) If the agency determines that there are problems in a facility which could be reduced through specific staff training beyond that already required under this section, the agency may require and provide, or cause to be provided, the training of any personal care staff in the facility.

(9) The agency shall adopt rules related to these training and education requirements, the competency test, necessary procedures, and competency test fees and shall adopt or contract with another entity to develop and administer the competency test. The agency shall adopt a curriculum outline with learning objectives to be used by core trainers as the minimum core training content requirements. The agency shall consult with representatives of stakeholder associations and agencies in the development of the curriculum outline.

(10) The core training required by this section must be conducted by persons registered with the agency as having the requisite experience and credentials to conduct the training. A person seeking to register as a core trainer must provide the agency with proof of completion of the core training requirements, successful passage of the competency test established under this section, and proof of compliance with the continuing education requirement in subsection (5).

(11) A person seeking to register as a core trainer also must:

(a) Provide proof of completion of a 4-year degree from an accredited college or university and must have worked in a management position in an assisted living facility for 3 years after being core certified;

(b) Have worked in a management position in an assisted living facility for 5 years after being core certified and have 1 year of teaching experience as an educator or staff trainer for persons who work in assisted living facilities or other long-term care settings;

(c) Have been previously employed as a core trainer for the agency or department; or

(d) Meet other qualification criteria as defined in rule, which the agency is authorized to adopt.

(12) The agency shall adopt rules to establish core trainer registration and removal requirements.