The Florida Senate

400.462  Definitions.--As used in this part, the term:

(1)  "Administrator" means a direct employee of the home health agency or a related organization, or of a management company that has a contract to manage the home health agency, to whom the governing body has delegated the responsibility for day-to-day administration of the home health agency. The administrator must be a licensed physician, physician assistant, or registered nurse licensed to practice in this state or an individual having at least 1 year of supervisory or administrative experience in home health care or in a facility licensed under chapter 395 or under part II or part III of this chapter. An administrator may manage a maximum of five licensed home health agencies located within one agency service district or within an immediately contiguous county. If the home health agency is licensed under this chapter and is part of a retirement community that provides multiple levels of care, an employee of the retirement community may administer the home health agency and up to a maximum of four entities licensed under this chapter that are owned, operated, or managed by the same corporate entity. An administrator shall designate, in writing, for each licensed entity, a qualified alternate administrator to serve during absences.

(2)  "Agency" means the Agency for Health Care Administration.

(3)  "Certified nursing assistant" means any person who has been issued a certificate under s. 400.211. The licensed home health agency or licensed nurse registry shall ensure that the certified nursing assistant employed by or under contract with the home health agency or licensed nurse registry is adequately trained to perform the tasks of a home health aide in the home setting.

(4)  "Client" means an elderly, handicapped, or convalescent individual who receives personal care services, companion services, or homemaker services in the individual's home or place of residence.

(5)  "Companion" or "sitter" means a person who cares for an elderly, handicapped, or convalescent individual and accompanies such individual on trips and outings and may prepare and serve meals to such individual. A companion may not provide hands-on personal care to a client.

(6)  "Department" means the Department of Children and Family Services.

(7)  "Director of nursing" means a registered nurse and direct employee of the agency or related business entity who is a graduate of an approved school of nursing and is licensed in this state; who has at least 1 year of supervisory experience as a registered nurse in a licensed home health agency, a facility licensed under chapter 395, or a facility licensed under part II or part III of this chapter; and who is responsible for overseeing the professional nursing and home health aid delivery of services of the agency. An employee may be the director of nursing of a maximum of five licensed home health agencies operated by a related business entity and located within one agency service district or within an immediately contiguous county. If the home health agency is licensed under this chapter and is part of a retirement community that provides multiple levels of care, an employee of the retirement community may serve as the director of nursing of the home health agency and of up to four entities licensed under this chapter which are owned, operated, or managed by the same corporate entity. A director of nursing shall designate, in writing, for each licensed entity, a qualified alternate registered nurse to serve during the absence of the director of nursing.

(8)  "Home health agency" means an organization that provides home health services and staffing services.

(9)  "Home health agency personnel" means persons who are employed by or under contract with a home health agency and enter the home or place of residence of patients at any time in the course of their employment or contract.

(10)  "Home health services" means health and medical services and medical supplies furnished by an organization to an individual in the individual's home or place of residence. The term includes organizations that provide one or more of the following:

(a)  Nursing care.

(b)  Physical, occupational, respiratory, or speech therapy.

(c)  Home health aide services.

(d)  Dietetics and nutrition practice and nutrition counseling.

(e)  Medical supplies, restricted to drugs and biologicals prescribed by a physician.

(11)  "Home health aide" means a person who provides hands-on personal care, performs simple procedures as an extension of therapy or nursing services, assists in ambulation or exercises, or assists in administering medications as permitted in rule and for which the person has received training established by the agency under s. 400.497(1).

(12)  "Homemaker" means a person who performs household chores that include housekeeping, meal planning and preparation, shopping assistance, and routine household activities for an elderly, handicapped, or convalescent individual. A homemaker may not provide hands-on personal care to a client.

(13)  "Home infusion therapy provider" means an organization that employs, contracts with, or refers a licensed professional who has received advanced training and experience in intravenous infusion therapy and who administers infusion therapy to a patient in the patient's home or place of residence.

(14)  "Home infusion therapy" means the administration of intravenous pharmacological or nutritional products to a patient in his or her home.

(15)  "Nurse registry" means any person that procures, offers, promises, or attempts to secure health-care-related contracts for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, home health aides, companions, or homemakers, who are compensated by fees as independent contractors, including, but not limited to, contracts for the provision of services to patients and contracts to provide private duty or staffing services to health care facilities licensed under chapter 395 or this chapter or other business entities.

(16)  "Organization" means a corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, partnership or association, or any other legal or commercial entity, any of which involve more than one health care professional discipline or a health care professional and a home health aide or certified nursing assistant. The term does not include an entity that provides services using only volunteers or only individuals related by blood or marriage to the patient or client.

(17)  "Patient" means any person who receives home health services in his or her home or place of residence.

(18)  "Personal care" means assistance to a patient in the activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, eating, or personal hygiene, and assistance in physical transfer, ambulation, and in administering medications as permitted by rule.

(19)  "Physician" means a person licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter 460, or chapter 461.

(20)  "Screening" means the assessment of the background of home health agency personnel, nurse registry personnel, and persons registered under s. 400.509 and includes employment or contractual history checks, records checks of the department's central abuse hotline under chapter 415 relating to vulnerable adults, and statewide criminal records correspondence checks through the Department of Law Enforcement.

(21)  "Skilled care" means nursing services or therapeutic services delivered by a health care professional who is licensed under chapter 464; part I, part III, or part V of chapter 468; or chapter 486 and who is employed by or under contract with a licensed home health agency or is referred by a licensed nurse registry.

(22)  "Staffing services" means services provided to a health care facility or other business entity on a temporary basis by licensed health care personnel, including certified nursing assistants and home heath aides who are employed by, or work under the auspices of, a licensed home health agency or who are registered with a licensed nurse registry.

History.--s. 38, ch. 75-233; s. 2, ch. 81-318; ss. 62, 79, 83, ch. 83-181; s. 12, ch. 85-167; s. 1, ch. 87-123; s. 2, ch. 88-219; s. 1, ch. 88-323; s. 1, ch. 90-101; s. 31, ch. 90-306; s. 2, ch. 90-319; s. 25, ch. 91-57; s. 28, ch. 91-263; ss. 2, 23, ch. 93-214; s. 781, ch. 95-148; s. 56, ch. 95-228; s. 126, ch. 99-8; s. 1, ch. 99-332.