October 30, 2023
In the fall of 2022, the Illinois HomeCare and Hospice Council (IHHC) convened a committee, chaired by Sheila McMackin, LCSW, to explore the concept of applying levels of care to in-home health care. (To learn about levels of care, see our blog post, “Like Hospitals, Home Care Agencies Should Have Levels of Care.”)
The Levels of Care committee reviewed the change in the Illinois Nurse Practice Act that now allows certified nursing assistants (CNAs) to deliver medications in home- and community-based settings (e.g., private homes, assisted living homes, etc.). This change in the law (PDF) was made by the Board of Nursing of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
As with anything, “the devil is in the details,” so the IHHC Levels of Care Committee set out to draft proposed language detailing how the change would be implemented. A diverse group of nurses, social workers, physicians, and administrators from home- and community-based providers worked for over a year to produce an administrative rule change to be submitted to the Illinois Department of Public Health. This proposed rule would allow the law change to be used by home health and home nursing agencies, including Wellspring Personal Care, that are licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health. You can read their proposed rule here (PDF).
This change comes during a time of great upheaval in healthcare. In Illinois we face a healthcare worker shortage, combined with fewer people entering the healthcare field and high rates of nurses who are retiring. Add to that increasing demand for care at home, higher acuity care needs, and rising costs.
The significance of this change in law cannot be understated. An administrative rule change to allow CNAs to administer medications in home- and community-based settings would impact both the public and private services. It would address labor shortages by extending scope of care; benefit all patients, from pediatrics to geriatrics; open the door to other service changes; and bring much-needed clinical oversight to the industry.
IHHC and its committee are reaching out to inform consumers, providers and professionals about our proposal. If you or someone you know would be interested in learning more, please contact Sheila McMackin at sheila@homecarechicago.com. Spread the word!
We’ll keep you posted on the task force’s efforts.