2011 Connecticut Code
Title 19a Public Health and Well-Being
Chapter 368v Health Care Institutions
Sec. 19a-495a. Unlicensed assistive personnel in residential care homes. Certification re administration of medication. Regulations. Nonnursing duties.

      Sec. 19a-495a. Unlicensed assistive personnel in residential care homes. Certification re administration of medication. Regulations. Nonnursing duties. (a)(1) The Commissioner of Public Health shall adopt regulations, as provided in subsection (d) of this section, to require each residential care home, as defined in section 19a-490, that admits residents requiring assistance with medication administration, to (A) designate unlicensed personnel to obtain certification for the administration of medication, and (B) to ensure that such unlicensed personnel receive such certification.

      (2) The regulations shall establish criteria to be used by such homes in determining (A) the appropriate number of unlicensed personnel who shall obtain such certification, and (B) training requirements, including on-going training requirements for such certification. Training requirements shall include, but shall not be limited to: Initial orientation, resident rights, identification of the types of medication that may be administered by unlicensed personnel, behavioral management, personal care, nutrition and food safety, and health and safety in general.

      (b) Each residential care home, as defined in section 19a-490, shall ensure that, on or before January 1, 2010, an appropriate number of unlicensed personnel, as determined by the residential care home, obtain certification for the administration of medication. Certification of such personnel shall be in accordance with regulations adopted pursuant to this section. Unlicensed personnel obtaining such certification may administer medications that are not administered by injection to residents of such homes, unless a resident's physician specifies that a medication only be administered by licensed personnel.

      (c) On and after October 1, 2007, unlicensed assistive personnel employed in residential care homes, as defined in section 19a-490, may (1) obtain and document residents' blood pressures and temperatures with digital medical instruments that (A) contain internal decision-making electronics, microcomputers or special software that allow the instruments to interpret physiologic signals, and (B) do not require the user to employ any discretion or judgment in their use; (2) obtain and document residents' weight; and (3) assist residents in the use of glucose monitors to obtain and document their blood glucose levels.

      (d) The Commissioner of Public Health may implement policies and procedures necessary to administer the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures as regulation, provided the commissioner prints notice of intent to adopt regulations in the Connecticut Law Journal not later than twenty days after the date of implementation. Policies and procedures implemented pursuant to this section shall be valid until the time final regulations are adopted.

      (P.A. 99-80, S. 1; P.A. 07-76, S. 1; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-5, S. 44.)

      History: P.A. 07-76 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and added Subsec. (b) to authorize the use of unlicensed assistive personnel for certain duties in residential care homes; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-5 amended Subsec. (a) by dividing existing provisions into Subdivs. (1) and (2) and, in Subdiv. (1), by removing reference to July 1, 2000, replacing reference to adoption of regulations in accordance with Ch. 54 with reference to Subsec. (d), adding provision re home that admits residents requiring assistance with medication administration and adding provisions re regulations to designate unlicensed personnel to obtain certification and to ensure receipt of certification and, in Subdiv. (2), by adding provisions re regulations to establish number of unlicensed personnel to obtain certification and training requirements to include identification of types of medication to be administered by unlicensed personnel, added new Subsec. (b) requiring each residential care home to ensure an appropriate number of unlicensed personnel obtain certification and specifying that certified personnel may administer medications not administered by injection and not required by a resident's physician to be administered by licensed personnel, redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as Subsec. (c) and added Subsec. (d) allowing Commissioner of Public Health to implement policies and procedures while in the process of adopting regulations, effective October 5, 2009.