Maintaining a Clean, Healthy, Safe Environment:
Housekeeping Skills for the Aide

This course prepares home health and hospice aides, or direct care workers, to maintain a clean, healthy, and safe environment for patients in the home. Aides will learn which light housekeeping tasks fall within their scope of practice and how to prioritize comfort, safety, and a healthy environment on every visit. The course introduces a practical decision rule — Fix, Report, or Pause — to help aides navigate housekeeping hazards confidently and within their role. Aides will also review infection prevention basics, correct cleaning and disinfecting techniques, and safe handling of linens, waste, sharps, and cleaning chemicals. Scenario-based activities follow a hospice aide through a real-world patient visit, offering opportunities to practice communication, boundary-setting, and respectful interaction with patients and family members.

Course Objectives
1. Explain the hospice aide’s role and scope in light housekeeping and how it supports comfort, dignity, and safety.
2. Identify common home hazards related to housekeeping, and describe what to address vs. what to report.
3. Apply basic infection prevention practices during housekeeping
4. Explore correct cleaning and disinfecting practices
5. Respond appropriately to common housekeeping challenges, including managing blood/bodily fluid cleanup, unsafe environments, tasks beyond your scope, and family or caregiver expectations..

This course was written in alignment with the CMS Conditions of Participation for Hospice: 42 CFR §418.76 (Hospice Aide and Homemaker Services) training expectations relevant to aide services (including tasks tied to light housekeeping and home safety within the care plan):

• https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-B/part-418/subpart-C/subject-group-ECFR74797288a614803/section-418.76

Estimated Runtime: 30 minutes

Reviewed and approved by
Jennifer Kennedy, EdD, MA, BSN, RN, CHC

NOTE: This course is not a substitute for legal advice for any individual provider or situation. Always consult your company's legal or compliance personnel with any questions or concerns related to this subject matter.