Home Care aide training Requirement

Home Care Aides must complete 75 hours of required training within 120 days of the date of their employment. The 75 hours includes four components:
1. Orientation and safety
2. Core competencies (this book)
3. Practice of skills
4. Population specific topics, which may include specialty and/or nurse delegation training

Training Certificates

After you complete all the Home Care Aide training requirements, you will receive a 75-hour certificate of completion. Keep track of your own training certificates. You may need to provide them to the Department of Health as part of an audit.

Home Care Aide Exam

After completing all 75 hours of required training, you must take the Washington State Department of Health Home Care Aide Exam. The exam includes both a written test and a skills demonstration test. You must take the exam within 200 days from your date of hire or 260 days if you have limited English proficiency.

Written Test

The written test will show whether you have learned the key points in this course. By completing the lesson checkpoints and module reviews, you should be ready to pass the written test.

Skills Demonstration Test

The skills test will show whether you can do the personal care tasks and other important caregiving skills taught during the class. You will have plenty of time in class to practice these skills.

Continuing Education Requirements

What is Continuing Education?

Continuing education is additional training designed to keep your skills and knowledge current. Continuing education must be on a topic relevant
to the care needs of the client and the care setting, or long-term care worker career development.

When do I Have to Complete Continuing Education?

Once you become a certified Home Care Aide you must complete 12 hours of approved continuing education training by your birthday each year. If your birthday following your initial certification as a Home Care Aide is less than a full year from the date of certification, no continuing education will be due for the first renewal period.

You must keep your certificates and proof of continuing education hours.

For more information about the Home Care Aide Exam, go to prometric.com/test-takers/search/wadoh

For more information about Continuing Education, visit dshs.wa.gov/altsa/training/continuingeducation-ce