CT SB00369

Home health care and home health aide agencies must collect and provide to assigned employees information during client intake, including client psychiatric history, violence history, substance use, domestic abuse, current infections, and diagnosis stability, effective October 1, 2024.

Agencies must provide employees information about other persons at service locations, including their names, relationships, psychiatric histories, violence histories, criminal records, and substance use, if known to the agency.

Agencies must provide employees with local crime rates, information about hazardous materials, firearms, weapons, fire alarm system status, and other safety hazards at service locations.

Home health care agencies must provide staff training on occupational safety and health standards, conduct monthly safety assessments with employees, and provide safety check mechanisms including mobile applications and GPS-enabled wearable devices, effective October 1, 2024.

All verbal, physical, and sexual abuse incidents against home care workers must be reported to the Commissioner of Public Health in a form prescribed by the commissioner, with annual reporting to the legislature on reports received and actions taken.

One million dollars is appropriated to the Department of Public Health for fiscal year 2024-2025 to establish a grant program providing funds to agencies for purchasing staff safety technology.

Individual and group health insurance policies must provide coverage for safety escorts for home health care and home health aide agency staff, effective January 1, 2025.