Paid Feeding Assistant

CNA, CMT and Insulin Registry

Code of Federal Regulations 483.160 allows for paid feeding assistants in certified facilities in Missouri. The paid feeding assistant does not have to be a certified nurse assistant.

Federal regulations requires the feeding assistant to be taught certain topics. A State-approved training course for paid feeding assistants must include, at a minimum, 8 hours of training in the following:

(1) Feeding techniques.
(2) Assistance with feeding and hydration.
(3) Communication and interpersonal skills.
(4) Appropriate responses to resident behavior.
(5) Safety and emergency procedures, including the Heimlich maneuver.
(6) Infection control.
(7) Resident rights.
(8) Recognizing changes in residents that are inconsistent with their normal behavior and the importance of reporting those changes to the supervisory nurse.

A facility must maintain a record of all individuals used by the facility as feeding assistants, who have successfully completed the training course for paid feeding assistants.

The following requirements may be met by using the identified unit and lesson plans from the current Nurse Assistant in Long Term Care Facility Manual, 2001 Revision. The classroom and On-the Job time requirements are recommended in the Nurse assistant in Long Term Care Facility Instructor Manual, 2001 Revision.

• Federal Regulation Requirement-Feeding Techniques, Assistance with Feeding and Hydration and Safety and emergency procedures, including the Heimlich maneuver.

Unit IV: Food Service

• Federal Regulation Requirement-Communication and Interpersonal Skills

Unit I: The Nurse Assistant

• Federal regulation requirement-Appropriate Responses to Resident Behavior

Unit II: Understanding the Elderly

• Federal Regulation Requirement-Infection Control

Unit III: Safety-Infection Control

• Federal Regulation Requirement-Resident Rights

Unit 1: The Nurse Assistant

• Federal Regulation Requirement-Recognizing changes in residents that are inconsistent with their normal behavior and the importance of reporting those changes to the supervisory nurse.

Unit 1: The Nurse Assistant

This training is broken into two aspects, part classroom and part on-the-job training or a laboratory setting, use whichever is most advantageous for you and your residents.  You may adjust the on-the-job training hours according to class size.  In other words, if you are training only one (1) or two (2) individuals, your practicum hours may be less than shown in the tables above.

The facility must maintain a record of all employees used by the facility as paid feeding assistants.  The record should include verification that they have successfully completed a State-approved training course for paid feeding assistants.

This regulation became effective September 28. 2007 and pertains only to certified facilities.

A licensed registered nurse must teach this short course.  Also, keep in mind other relevant regulations are to be followed.