Boise Senior AdvisorDoes Idaho set a staff-to-resident ratio for assisted living?
No: IDAPA 16.03.22 requires each facility to write and follow staffing policies that ensure adequate care, but it sets no fixed number of staff per resident, so the staffing pattern written into the admission agreement is the figure to compare between Boise buildings.
The rule does set floors. Staff must be up and awake and immediately available in the building during residents' sleeping hours. A facility with detached buildings or units must have at least one staff member present in each building whenever residents are there. At least one direct care worker certified in first aid and CPR must be on site at all times, and in each building or unit of a multi-building campus.
How much training do assisted living caregivers get in Idaho?
New staff need at least 16 hours of job-related orientation before giving unsupervised personal assistance, completed within 30 days of hire and before working alone, plus at least 8 hours of continuing training every year.
Orientation must cover resident rights, how to report and document abuse, neglect and exploitation, the facility's policies, and training specific to the population served, which matters for a dementia or behavioral health unit. When policies change, the change date must be on the policy and staff training updated.
Who can help residents with medications in an Idaho RALF?
Unlicensed staff may assist with medications only after a medication assistance course from an Idaho community college or a Department-approved curriculum, plus training on documentation and on what to do when a dose is refused, missed, wrong or unavailable.
The facility nurse must delegate medication assistance to each aide individually, with a skill demonstration, and again whenever the nurse changes. Residents who manage their own medications must be assessed before they start and every 90 days.
How often must a nurse see residents in Idaho assisted living?
The facility nurse must visit at least once every 90 days for quarterly assessments that review each resident's health and recommend changes to the negotiated service agreement, as well as assess any change in condition.
The negotiated service agreement (NSA) is the resident's care plan, and an interim plan must be used while it is completed. Ask how quickly the nurse responds to a change in condition between quarterly visits, and whether the nurse is an employee or a contractor shared with other homes.
Side by side
| Idaho's staffing rules require | Idaho's staffing rules do not require | |
|---|---|---|
| Overnight | Staff up, awake and in the building | A specific number of night staff |
| Training | 16 hours before working alone; 8 hours a year | State certification of every aide |
| Nursing | A nurse visit at least every 90 days | A nurse on site around the clock |
Drawn from IDAPA 16.03.22, Idaho Code 39-33, IDHW and Idaho Commission on Aging publications, CareScout, CMS and the VA; our editorial standards explain how we check them.
