Homecare Worker
Orientation
(Local office name)
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Community based services
Oregon’s long term care services
philosophy:
 Dignity
 Choice
 Independence
This program allows people to stay in
their homes. YOU are an important part of
making that happen!!
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Oregon Home Care Commission
The Home Care Commission has four major
responsibilities:
 To define the qualifications of homecare
workers (HCWs).
 To create a statewide registry of homecare
workers;
 To provide training opportunities for
homecare workers;
 To serve as the “employer of record” for
purposes of collective bargaining for
homecare workers whose pay comes from
public funds.
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SEIU – Local 503
 SEIU Union, Local 503
 Represents the homecare workers paid
through APD.
 You will find a SEIU homecare worker bulletin
board in your local office.
For more information call
1-800-452-2146 or
Member Resource Center: 1-877-451-0002
Website: www.seiu503.org
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To enroll as a homecare
worker you must:
Have an approved
criminal
background check
Maintain a drugfree workplace
Have a legal name
that matches your
tax ID/SSN
Be 18 and
authorized to work
legally in the US
Have the
knowledge, skills,
and abilities to do
the job
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Who is your employer?
 The person you work for is your EMPLOYER. Your
employer is NOT your client.
 Having a client implies that you provide
direction.
 Having an employer means that he or she
directs you.
 The people receiving services in the in-home
program have free choice in managing their lives
and making decisions about the services that they
receive and who provides them.
 Your employer makes decisions on hiring and firing
homecare workers.
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Homecare workers have a
unique relationship
Your application and payment records are
processed and approved by a local office
of the State’s Aging & People with
Disabilities or Area Agency on Aging.
You are employed by the person receiving
services.
Your payment is processed and mailed by
the State of Oregon.
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Types of homecare workers
You may be
 Active/approved
to work.
 Restricted to
providing services
to one or more
consumer
employers.
You may work as:
 Hourly
 Live-in
 Relief live-in
 Substitute
hourly
 Short notice
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Job Responsibilities
and Expectations
How does the homecare worker
fit into the plan?
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In-home services
1. Eligibility for In-Home Services is determined by a
case manager.
2. Individuals will receive assessed hours for Activities of
Daily Living (ADL), Instrumental Activities of Daily
Living (IADL), health-related tasks, and 24-hour
availability, based on their needs.
3. An In-Home Service Plan is developed.
4. A Task List is generated.
You will receive the task list from your employer
and/or from the case manager.
5. A Notice of Authorized Hours and Services will be sent
by the local office.
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The task list is your
job description.
 The Task List tells you what you can be paid to
do.
 WHAT is on the list is determined by the
case manager and employer depending on
what is needed and what is allowable in the
program.
 HOW the tasks are done is determined by
the employer.
 Make sure you understand what services you are
authorized to provide.
 Review the task list with your employer.
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The Task
List
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Task List
Page 2
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Unauthorized services are
services that are not payable with Medicaid
funds.
These include but are not limited to:
 Social outings
 Yard work
 Pet care
 Moving or relocating the consumer/employer
 Caring for the employer’s children or
grandchildren
 Services that benefit the entire household
 Providing assistance in a hospital or facility
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Employer/employee
relationship
 People enrolled in the in-home program direct
the services that they receive.
 Discuss any changes in conditions, tasks,
work concerns, etc., with your employer and
suggest that he or she talk to the case
manager and possibly the physician.

If you are still concerned, you should also
report your concerns and observations to
the case manager.
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As a HCW, you are part of a
team…
 led by the person receiving the services
(your employer), and may include;
 other paid or unpaid providers
 family or friends
 the case manager
 the local APD/AAA office
 a community long-term care nurse
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Professional behavior
Best practices:
 Set and keep boundaries.
 Keep accurate records of time
worked.
 Respect your employer’s beliefs,
wishes, customs, and privacy.
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Financial activities
If shopping or handling your employer’s
money, keep receipts and accurate
records.
Professional behavior
Best practices:
 Wear clean, neat clothing and be
fragrance-free.
 Maintain a drug-free workplace.
 Maintain confidentiality.
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Confidentiality
You must keep consumer/employer
information confidential, such as:
 Name, address, phone number
 Medical condition
 Whether the person is on Medicaid
or other state services
 Financial information
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Tips on keeping things
confidential
 Do not let anyone but your employer see your
voucher. If someone else is delivering it to the
office, put it in a sealed envelope.
 Do not give your employer’s name as a
reference or use on a rental or loan application
unless they have given you permission to do so.
 If using a pay stub as proof of employment,
black out the employer’s name.
 Do not talk about your employer to his/her
family members – or to yours.
 Do not share medical information about the
employer with a landlord.
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More on professional behavior
 Best practices:
 Do not discuss your personal problems with
your employer.
 Do not work for someone other than the
person authorized.
 Do not eat their food.
 Do not accept gifts from your employer or
give gifts to them.
 Do not bring your friends, relatives
(including children), or pets to the
employer’s home.
 Do not borrow items belonging to your
employer.
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Adult Protective Services
 It is important to
recognize forms of
abuse and exploitation
to elderly and disabled
persons and report it
to Adult Protective
Services.
Local APS Phone
Number:
(XXX) XXX-XXXX
This includes:
 Physical mistreatment
 Financial exploitation
or theft
 Psychological/
emotional harassment
 Physical or chemical
restraint
 Involuntary seclusion
 Sexual abuse
 Neglect
 Self neglect
 Abandonment
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Process to Become a
Homecare Worker and
Find Work
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Application and enrollment
process
 To get started, you’ll
need to complete a:
 Homecare Worker
Application
 Provider Enrollment
form
 Criminal History
Request Form
 I-9
 W-4
 Confidentiality form
 Direct Deposit form
(optional)
 To receive a provider
number you must:
 Pass the criminal
background check
 Turn in all requested
forms
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Getting referrals
 The Oregon Home Care Commission (OHCC)
maintains a Registry and Referral System (RRS).
 If you are a approved to work and available for
referral, your name may appear on a matched list
(with your permission) to employers looking for a
provider. (Permission is authorized by the
homecare worker on the HCW Application in the
Registry.)
 It is important to keep your registry profile up-todate every 30 days or you will not be referred for
work.
 Indicate your availability in the Registry once you
obtain a new job.
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www.or-hcc.org
Select: Senior and Adults with Physical Disabilities
To find the RRS, type “www.or-hcc.org”
in the address field of your internet
browser
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If you forget your log in: call
1-877-867-0077 extension 1
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HCW training opportunities
The Oregon Home Care Commission offers
statewide training opportunities.
These classes will help you:
 Obtain skills and knowledge to provide quality
services.
 Add to your resume and be more valuable to
your employer(s).
 Meet and learn from other workers.
 Improve your communication skills.
 Learn ways to reduce risks of injury.
 Provide person-centered services.
HCW training . . .
______________________________________________
And…
 If you are actively working, you may be
paid for your time.
 After attending training, you may qualify to
attend a paid CPR/First Aid class.
 You will meet training requirements to be
referred on the Registry.
To receive a training newsletter, contact
the Home Care Commission or
visit the OHCC website.
Continuing education
 In order to be referred on the RRS, you must take
four (4) OHCC training classes per year.
 Any Oregon Home Care Commission class counts
towards the training class requirement except for
MoneyWise.
 You have one year from receiving your provider
number to complete these classes.
 At least one of the classes every two years must
be a safety class.
 Safety classes are: Preventing Disease
Transmission (PDT), Protect Against Sprains
and Strains (PASS), and Taking Responsibility
in Personal Safety (TRIPS).
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Professional development
recognition
 Homecare workers
who have attended
safety, core, and
skills trainings can
apply for a
recognition pin or
key chain from the
Oregon Home Care
Commission.
 Workers with
Professional
Development
Recognition are
marked on the
Registry.
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Interviewing
 If you are a
homecare worker,
you may interview
for employment.
 A few pointers:
 Ask questions
about what is
expected.
 Talk about your
skills and why you
work in
homecare.
 Look and act
professional.
 Evaluate each job
and determine if
it’s right for you. 34
Before starting a job
 Apply for and receive an active provider
number.
 Confirm that the local case manager has
authorized you to work.
 Clarify the hours you have been authorized to
work and how many hours have been allotted
for each task.
 Hours authorized and allotted are found on
the voucher and task list.
 Request a copy of the task list from your
employer or the case manager.
 Notify the local office whenever you take or
leave a job.
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Let’s talk about…
What to do if you are
sick or will be late
to work
You are injured and
unable to work
You wish to end a work
relationship
You want to change
your hours or schedule
 Contact your
employer in
each situation.
 You may also
contact the
case manager
or another
individual at
the local
office.
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Safety
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Working safely
 Work with your employer to create and maintain
a safe working environment.
 Follow safe practices to avoid injury to yourself
or your employer.
 Take precautions to avoid the spread of germs
and diseases at all times.
 Attend safety training classes.
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Use standard precautions
 Germs are most often
 See the HCW
transmitted through body
Safety Manual and
fluids (blood, vomit, urine,
the Self-Study
saliva).
Course on Infection
 Decrease the transmission
Control for more
of germs by ALWAYS using
information.
gloves or masks.
 Use standard precautions
with everyone, not just
people who you suspect
have germs or diseases.
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Handwashing is the best way
to avoid spreading germs
Always wash your hands:
 After you arrive at the employer’s
home.
 Before you prepare food.
 Before and after assisting with meals.
 After you go to the bathroom.
 Before and after you assist your
employer to the bathroom.
 Before you leave your employer’s
home.
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Wearing gloves
Wearing work and cleaning
gloves is also important. You’ll
need to provide those yourself.
 Your employer’s
health plan may pay
for gloves needed
for personal care.
You can also get
some from the local
office so that you
are never without
gloves.
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Payment and
Benefits
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Provider Termination
 The state can terminate your provider number for
certain conduct. For example:
 Taking or borrowing money or items
belonging to your employer.
 Telling something that is confidential – even
to someone you think you can trust.
 Being intoxicated while working.
 Neglecting your employer’s service needs.
 Claiming hours not worked.
 Forging a signature or falsifying payment
records.
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Payment Information
 Tracking your time.
 You can get paid once or twice
each month.
 Tracking your mileage, if applicable.
 Completing the voucher:
 Fill out and sign in ink.
 Always complete BEFORE the
employer signs it.
 Turn it in AFTER you have worked
your last shift.
 Do not sign the voucher for your
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employer or on behalf of your employer.
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When you get paid…
You will receive a Remittance Advice.
Check the remittance advice carefully
to make sure it is accurate.
Always read any messages at the
bottom of the remittance.
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More payment issues
Tax withholding
Direct deposit
Unemployment
 For purposes of unemployment, the
State of Oregon represents the
employer.
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Earning paid leave
 Hourly Providers. On February 1 and July 1 of
each year, homecare workers who worked 80
authorized hours and were paid hours in any of
the three (3) months immediately before each of
those dates, earn 16 hours of paid time off.
 Live-In Providers. Live-in providers earn one (1)
paid day (24 hours) for every month of work up to
a maximum of 144 hours.
 If not a seven (7)-day live-in, paid leave is
pro-rated.
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Taking paid leave
 Work with your employer to find times for paid
leave that works for both of you.
 Give as much notice as you can.
 Hourly workers must take leave in four
(4)-hour blocks, or no less than the
normally scheduled work hours.
 Live-in workers must take either 24 hours
or blocks of up to 12 hours.
 It is not the homecare worker’s responsibility to
find a replacement.
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Taking paid leave
continued . . .
______________________________________________
Unused paid leave as of January 31 is
cashed out.
 Live-in providers only receive one-half
of the cash-out value.
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Other Things You
Should Know
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Workers’ Compensation
 When doing work assigned on your task list, you
have Workers’ Compensation insurance.
 Report any task related work injury immediately to
1-888-365-0001 or 503-378-3099 (Salem).
 If you seek medical treatment for your work injury,
fill out a Form 827 and ask physician to fax it to
SAIF at 1-800-475-7785.
Important: Filing a claim does not
automatically qualify your injury for
Workers' Compensation benefits.
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Health insurance coverage
 You may be eligible for health insurance
through the SEIU Homecare Worker Trust.
 For information call 1-866-364-4822.
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