Medication Assistance for Personal Care Aides

This scenario-based, interactive course prepares personal care aides to safely assist clients with self-administered medications while staying within their authorized scope of practice. Aides will learn the key distinction between medication assistance and medication administration, and identify tasks that are within their scope of practice with regard to medication. The course also introduces the five rights of safe medication assistance, covers common medication forms, and explains how to recognize and respond appropriately to missed doses or client refusals.

Course Outcomes
1. Distinguish medication assistance from medication administration
2. Identify which actions related to medication assistance are within scope for a personal care aide
3. Apply the five rights of safe medication assistance when helping a client with self-administered medications
4. Respond correctly when a dose is missed or refused or when a situation requires contacting the supervising nurse before proceeding
5. Describe the personal care aide’s responsibilities for observation, reporting, and documentation, and when those observations must be escalated

This course was written in alignment with the CMS Medicaid definition of personal care services: 42 CFR §440.167 (Personal care services) and applicable state standards governing personal care aide training and scope of practice (including tasks tied to medication assistance within the client’s plan of care):

• https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-C/part-440/subpart-A/section-440.167

Estimated Runtime: 30 minutes

Reviewed and approved by
Kim Tate, RN, BSN

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.