Paid Feeding Assistants
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- State Approved PFA Training Courses
- Questions and Answers About the PFA Program
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Questions and Answers about the Paid Feeding Assistant Program
| Question No. | Question | Answer | Date | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Will volunteer feeding assistants have to complete the training required of paid feeding assistants? | No. Volunteers will continue to be trained according to the requirements in the state regulations at Minnesota Rule 4658.0530, subpart. 2. | January 2004 | ||||||||||||
2. | Who is allowed to teach the course for paid feeding assistants? | The Paid Feeding Assistant course is to be taught by a registered nurse consistent with the Minnesota Nurse Practice Act. | January 2004 | ||||||||||||
3. | Are both a written and demonstration of skills test required to pass the paid feeding assistant training course? | Yes. The minimum 8-hour course is designed to teach and test on the required material. A 75% pass rate must be obtained on a written test for each unit quiz. | January 2004 | ||||||||||||
4. | How will potential paid feeding assistants who have had substantiated abuse/neglect on their record be identified? | All paid feeding assistants are required to undergo a background check. It is the responsibility of the nursing home administrator to obtain a criminal background study for each individual hired. If an individual is on the Nurse Aide Registry and has substantiated abuse/neglect, the Nurse Aide Registry will be flagged. | January 2004 | ||||||||||||
5. | Are in-service hours required for feeding assistants? | No. However, the Department strongly encourages nursing homes to provide in-services on this topic. All paid feeding assistants work under the direction/supervision of a registered nurse and must be competent to perform duties. | January 2004 | ||||||||||||
6. | Will nursing homes that have lost NATCEP be allowed to hire and train paid feeding assistants? | Yes. | January 2004 | ||||||||||||
7. | Currently residents are to be fed by licensed health professionals defined in 42 CFR 483.75 (e)(1) and/or a nurse aide who has completed an approved 75-hour Nurse Aide Training Program and/or successfully passed the competency exam and is on the Nurse Aide Registry . Will these individuals need to take the paid feeding assistant training? | No, the above referenced health professionals and nurse aides may assist residents with feeding and will remain eligible to assist residents with feeding without additional training. | January 2004 | ||||||||||||
8. | Can an approved paid feeding assistant curriculum be taught by an establishment other than a licensed nursing home? | Yes, provided that an approved paid feeding assistant training course is taught by a registered nurse and the skills demonstration portion is conducted and tested in a setting/situation similar to a nursing home. The nursing home must verify that the paid feeding assistant training course that was taught was an approved training course and that the paid feeding assistant is competent to perform the feeding skills. | January 2004 | ||||||||||||
9. | Will payment rates change for nursing homes that employ feeding assistants? | Payment rates for nursing homes are established by the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Questions should be directed to this agency. There is no payment rate change. | January 2004 | ||||||||||||
10. | If a potential paid feeding assistant hire has completed a paid feeding assistant training course approved by another state survey agency will that course be honored in Minnesota? | MDH will address the state reciprocity as we become aware that other states have their approval mechanisms in place. At that time, we would indicate that the individual be considered qualified as a paid feeding assistant providing there is the documentation by the nursing home that they have verified the paid feeding assistant training course was approved and is consistent with that States' process, CMS requirements and that the individual successfully completed the course. Documentation must be retained by the nursing home in the employment file. Reminder: the paid feeding assistant is under the supervision of the Director of Nursing (DON), therefore, the DON must assure that the feeding assistant is competent in those feeding skills. | January 2004 | ||||||||||||
11. | What if a potential paid feeding assistant hire has completed a paid feeding assistant course approved by MDH but it was taught at a different nursing home? | If an individual has passed an approved paid feeding assistant curriculum offered in Minnesota, that competency is considered portable from one Minnesota nursing home to another Minnesota nursing home. Documentation of successful completion of the approved paid feeding assistant training course is required and must be retained by the nursing home in the employment file. Reminder: the paid feeding assistant is under the supervision of the Director of Nursing (DON), therefore, the DON must assure that the paid feeding assistant is competent in those feeding skills. | January 2004 |
Last Updated: 06/02/2025