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Home care staff requirements in Mississippi

Mississippi licenses home health agencies under the State Department of Health's minimum standards for home health agencies. Agencies must run a criminal history record check on new direct-care employees, screen employee health before hire and every year, and give nurses and aides at least 12 hours of continuing education a year. We did not find a Mississippi rule that licenses non-medical home care agencies.

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Licenses

Home health agencies are licensed by the Mississippi State Department of Health under its Minimum Standards of Operation for Home Health Agencies (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46).
For licensing purposes, home health agencies are classed as private non-profit, proprietary, hospital-based, or governmental (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.6.1).

Background checks

Under Miss. Code Section 43-11-13, the agency must get a criminal history record check on every new employee who provides direct patient care or services (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.27.3).
A new criminal history record check is also required for anyone seeking new employment whose first check is more than two years old (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.27.3).
The agency must also check with the professional licensing agency, if any, to see whether the employee has been disciplined (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.27.3).

Training and competency

Home health aides must have prior work experience as a nurse aide or home health aide, or complete a special home health aide program (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.29.2).
An agency that hires aides without that background must train them in a Department-approved program, or require an outside program that meets Medicare duration and subject rules, before the aide works in a home (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.29.2).
Aide training must cover the aide's role on the team, personal care and daily living tasks, nutrition and special diets, aging, emotional problems of illness, a clean and safe environment, what to report, and record keeping (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.29.2).
Every new employee must get orientation on their job, agency policies, how staff work together, ethics, confidentiality, and patient rights (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.29.1).
Full-time and part-time nurses and home health aides must complete at least 12 hours of continuing education each year (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.29.3).

Health screening

Every employee who has contact with patients must have a health screening by a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant before employment and every year after (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.27.5).
Agencies must follow CDC or State Department of Health recommendations for baseline and routine serial TB testing of employees (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.29.1).
Personnel policies must cover initial and periodic health exams (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.27.1).

Also in the personnel file

Personnel files must include the job application, evidence of qualifications including reference checks, current license or registration if any, performance evaluation, health screening, orientation, and hire and separation dates (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.27.2).
Personnel policies must include job descriptions for all positions and annual performance evaluations for all employees (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.27.1).
Home health aide services must be ordered by a physician or other listed practitioner and supervised by a registered nurse, or by a therapist when appropriate (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.38.1).

Common questions

What background checks do home care aides need in Mississippi?

Under Miss. Code Section 43-11-13, the agency must get a criminal history record check on every new employee who provides direct patient care or services (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.27.3).

How much training do home care aides need in Mississippi?

Home health aides must have prior work experience as a nurse aide or home health aide, or complete a special home health aide program (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.29.2).

What health screening do home care workers in Mississippi need?

Every employee who has contact with patients must have a health screening by a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant before employment and every year after (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46.27.5).

Which license does a home care agency need in Mississippi?

Home health agencies are licensed by the Mississippi State Department of Health under its Minimum Standards of Operation for Home Health Agencies (15 Miss. Code R. 16-1-46).

Some rules for Mississippi weren't confirmed from an official source. Check with the state before relying on this page.

Sources

This page summarizes state licensing rules in plain words, with links to the rules themselves. It is not legal advice, rules change, and your license type decides what applies: check the linked source and your licensing agency. Medicare-certified home health agencies also follow 42 CFR 484.80. Checked October 2026.

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