This letter addresses feeding assistance care for nursing home residents and staffing requirements to implement rules. HHSC and Long Term Care Regulatory (LTCR) determined that the topic of feeding assistance required an updated and consolidated communication to providers.
The letter details:
Policy Details & Provider Responsibilities: A paid feeding assistant is an individual who meets the requirements
specified in the Texas Administrative Code who is paid to feed residents by a facility, or who is used under an arrangement with another agency or organization. To feed residents, paid feeding assistants in NFs must successfully complete the state-approved Feeding Assistant Training course taught by a licensed health professional, and be properly supervised.
Successful completion of the training means that a participant has participated in all 16 hours of the training, completed the supervised feeding practicum, and completed the reviews at the end of modules 2-8. The instructor or supervisory nurse evaluating the feeding practicum must assess the competency of the feeding assistant. However, there is no competency test for paid feeding assistants. For more details visit Provider Letter 18-17
