Effective January 1, 2014, The Minnesota Department of Health implemented new licensing requirements for home care providers. The changes affect new and current Minnesota home care specialists.

The new legislation consolidates the current classes (A, B, C, F) into two categories: Basic and Comprehensive.

Basic home health care providers in Minnesota, under the requirements, include providers who:

  • Provide standby and hands-on assistance to clients with dressing, self-feeding, oral hygiene, hair care, grooming and bathing
  • Provide verbal or visual reminders to take regularly scheduled medication and to perform regularly scheduled treatments and exercises
  • Prepare modified diets order by a licensed health professional
  • Assist with laundry, housekeeping, meal preparation, shopping, or other household chores

Comprehensive home health care providers perform all of the services listed above plus:

  • Services provided by an advanced practice nurse, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, physical therapist, respiratory therapist, occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist, dietician or nutritionist, or a social worker
  • Tasks delegated to unlicensed personnel by a registered nurse or assigned by a licensed health professional within that person’s scope of practice
  • Hands-on assistance with transfers and mobility
  • Assistance with eating when a client has complicating eating problems noted in their medical records or through a proper assessment
  • Providing other complex or specialty health care services

Current Minnesota home care specialists will be required to convert to Basic or Comprehensive status according to a set of dates and processes guided by regulations and to include all agencies by June 30, 2015.

Updates to current requirements include clarifications in the medication management, enhanced training and orientation of caregivers and increased frequency of inspection of licensed providers. All home health care providers in Minnesota newly licensed after January 1, 2014 will fall under the new rules.

For more information about the State of Minnesota Home Health Care licensing changes, visit The Minnesota Department of Health’s website.