IHSS - In-Home Supportive Services certified provider Authorized vs. Unauthorized Tasks Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An IHSS recipient's daughter, who is not an authorized recipient of services, asks you to do her laundry along with her mother's. What is the appropriate action to take?
- Complete the daughter's laundry as a courtesy since you are already doing a load for the recipient.
- Refuse to do the daughter's laundry and explain that you are only authorized to provide services for the IHSS recipient. (Correct answer)
- Ask the daughter to pay you separately for the extra work.
- Report the daughter to the county social worker for making an inappropriate request.
Correct answer: Refuse to do the daughter's laundry and explain that you are only authorized to provide services for the IHSS recipient.
IHSS providers are only authorized and paid to perform tasks for the eligible IHSS recipient. Performing services for other household members is not permitted under the program rules and could be considered fraud. The correct action is to politely decline and clarify the scope of your authorized duties.
Question 2: Which of the following tasks is considered an 'unauthorized' task for an IHSS provider?
- Taking out the recipient's garbage.
- Washing the exterior windows of the recipient's home. (Correct answer)
- Accompaniment to a medical appointment.
- Sweeping and vacuuming the floors.
Correct answer: Washing the exterior windows of the recipient's home.
Washing exterior windows is explicitly listed as an unauthorized task. Authorized domestic services are limited to basic housecleaning inside the home, such as sweeping, vacuuming, and cleaning kitchens and bathrooms to ensure a safe and sanitary environment for the recipient.
Question 3: A recipient's doctor has ordered daily wound care, which requires sterile procedures. As an IHSS provider, what must happen before you can perform this task?
- You can perform the task immediately as long as the recipient gives you instructions.
- You must receive training from the recipient's family member on how to perform the care.
- The task must be authorized as a paramedical service by the county, and you must be trained by a licensed healthcare professional. (Correct answer)
- You must complete a general first-aid course online.
Correct answer: The task must be authorized as a paramedical service by the county, and you must be trained by a licensed healthcare professional.
Tasks requiring sterile procedures, like certain types of wound care, are considered paramedical services. For a provider to perform a paramedical service, it must be ordered by a physician, authorized by the county social worker, and the provider must receive specific training from a licensed healthcare professional on how to perform the task safely and correctly.
Question 4: Your IHSS recipient is hospitalized for a week. They ask you to come to their home to water their plants and clean while they are away. How should you record the hours for these tasks?
- Record the hours on your timesheet as 'Domestic Services' since cleaning is an authorized task.
- Visit the recipient in the hospital and have them sign a paper timesheet for the hours worked at the home.
- You cannot be paid by IHSS for any services while the recipient is hospitalized, so these hours should not be claimed.
- Ask the recipient to pay you directly in cash and do not record the hours on your IHSS timesheet. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Ask the recipient to pay you directly in cash and do not record the hours on your IHSS timesheet.
IHSS does not pay for services provided while a recipient is in a hospital or other care facility. Furthermore, tasks like watering plants are generally not covered. Any private arrangement for tasks performed during this time is strictly between the provider and the recipient and cannot be claimed for IHSS payment.
Question 5: Which task related to medication is generally authorized for an IHSS provider without requiring special paramedical authorization?
- Administering injections.
- Crushing pills and mixing them into food.
- Reminding the recipient to take their pre-sorted medications at the correct time. (Correct answer)
- Filling the recipient's weekly pill organizer.
Correct answer: Reminding the recipient to take their pre-sorted medications at the correct time.
Assisting with self-administration of medication, which includes reminding a recipient to take their medication, is a standard personal care service. Administering injections, crushing pills, or any other task that requires medical judgment is considered a paramedical service and requires specific authorization and training.
Question 6: Your recipient asks you to drive their grandchild to school while you are on the clock. The recipient's Notice of Action includes hours for 'Accompaniment to Medical Appointments.' How should you respond?
- Agree to take the grandchild, as transportation is part of your authorized services.
- Refuse the request, explaining that your authorized transportation services are only for the recipient and for specific purposes like medical appointments. (Correct answer)
- Take the grandchild to school but do not claim the time on your timesheet.
- Ask the social worker for permission to add 'transporting family members' to the list of authorized tasks.
Correct answer: Refuse the request, explaining that your authorized transportation services are only for the recipient and for specific purposes like medical appointments.
IHSS transportation services are strictly for the benefit of the recipient and are limited to approved purposes, such as accompaniment to medical appointments or alternative resources. Transporting family members or running errands unrelated to the recipient's direct needs is an unauthorized task.
IHSS - In-Home Supportive Services certified provider Authorized vs. Unauthorized Tasks Questions and Answers 1
An IHSS recipient's daughter, who is not an authorized recipient of services, asks you to do her laundry along with her mother's.
What is the appropriate action to take?