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What
are feeding assistants?
Feeding assistants are nursing home
employees who assist in the oral feeding of residents without complicated feeding
problems. They are not nurses or certified nurse aides and they are not counted in any
resident to nurse staffing ratios.
What are some examples of complicated feeding problems?
Difficulty swallowing, recurrent lung
aspirations and tub or parenteral/IV feedings are just some examples of complicated
feeding problems. Again, residents with these problems cannot be fed by feeding
assistants. They must be fed by nurses or certified nurse aides.
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Are feeding assistants allowed in Connecticut?
Yes, federal law permits states to create
laws governing feeding assistants in nursing homes. As of May 1, 2007, Connecticut law
took effect to allow feeding assistants. Relevant law is found in the regulations of the
Connecticut Department of Public Health.
Are feeding assistants supervised in any way?
Feeding assistants work under the
supervision of a licensed practical nurse (LPN) or registered nurse (RN), but there is no
requirement that the LPN or RN be in the same room as the feeding assistants and
residents. In an emergency, feeding assistants are required to call a supervisory nurse.
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What training is required of feeding assistants?
Feeding assistants must complete a training
program consisting of 8 hours of classroom curriculum and 2 hours of clinical practicum.
(As a contrast, certified nurse aides receive 100 hours of training.) At a minimum, the
contents of the training must include training on feeding techniques, assistance with
feeding and hydration, communication and interpersonal skills, appropriate response to
resident behavior, safety and emergency procedures, including the Heimlich maneuver,
infection control, residents’ rights, recognizing changes in residents inconsistent
with normal behavior.
The nursing home that offers the training
program must keep a record of all individuals who successfully complete the program and
share such information if the feeding assistants seek employment at another facility. The
Department of Public Health must approve all training programs proposed by the nursing
facilities.
How many residents can a feeding assistant help feed at one time?
The maximum ratio is one feeding assistant
to every two residents, or, one feeding assistant to assist to cue no more than four
residents at one time.
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What if I have concerns about feeding assistants?
Contact the State's Long Term Care Ombudsman
Program. The Program has established a Work Group on Nutrition and Hydration.
It's goal is to identify strategies to provide better nutrition and hydration to
the state's long term care residents. Public input is encouraged.
What are the laws on feeding assistants?
There are both federal and state laws on
nursing home feeding assistants.
42 C.F.R. sec. 483.35(h)
42 C.F.R. sec. 483.75(e)(1)
42 C.F.R. sec. 483.160
42 C.F.R. sec. 488.301
Conn. Agencies Regs. sec. 19-13-D8t(a) & (l)
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