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Home care staff requirements in Utah
Utah licenses both home health agencies and non-medical personal care agencies through the Department of Health and Human Services. Workers with direct patient access must be cleared through the state's Direct Access Clearance System, which includes an FBI fingerprint check and several registry and exclusion list checks, and all employees need a TB test within two weeks of hire. Personal care aides need first aid training, a competency check, and at least six hours of in-service each year.
Licenses
- Utah licenses home health agencies under its Home Health Agency Rule, and those agencies must follow the general licensing rule R432-2 (Utah Admin. Code R432-700-6).
- Utah separately sets licensure standards for personal care agencies, which may provide only personal care services (Utah Admin. Code R432-725-2; Utah Admin. Code R432-725-3).
- Home health agencies, hospice agencies and personal care agencies are covered providers for state background screening run by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Background Processing (Utah Admin. Code R432-35-2).
Background checks
- The provider must enter each worker into the Direct Access Clearance System (DACS) before the person starts a job with possible direct patient access (Utah Admin. Code R432-35-3(1)).
- Each worker must sign a background check authorization and submit fingerprints within 15 working days of starting (Utah Admin. Code R432-35-3(2)).
- A provider may let a worker start provisionally while the clearance is pending, as state law allows (Utah Admin. Code R432-35-3(4)).
- The clearance includes a fingerprint-based criminal history check and enrollment in the rap back system, which gives ongoing notice of new arrests (Utah Admin. Code R432-35-7(1)).
- The state may also review child abuse findings, nurse aide registries, the state vulnerable adult abuse database, professional license records, and the federal OIG List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (Utah Admin. Code R432-35-7(2)).
- A provider may not place a worker found ineligible for direct patient access in a direct access job (Utah Admin. Code R432-35-3(6)).
Training and competency
- Home health agency staff and personal care agency staff must be trained every year on reporting suspected abuse, neglect and exploitation (Utah Admin. Code R432-700-9(4); Utah Admin. Code R432-725-6(4)).
- Personal care aides in a home health agency must get first aid training, orientation and training in care, show competency, and complete at least six hours of in-service training per calendar year (Utah Admin. Code R432-700-22(2)).
- Personal care agency employees must complete at least six hours of in-service per calendar year, prorated in the first year (Utah Admin. Code R432-725-6(3)).
- Personal care aides in a personal care agency must be trained in first aid and be able to show competency in all areas of personal care training (Utah Admin. Code R432-725-14(1)).
- Certified nursing aides in a home health agency must have a certificate of completion for the position within six months of hire and be certified in CPR and emergency procedures (Utah Admin. Code R432-700-21(2)).
- Orientation must cover job duties, ethics, confidentiality, client rights, and abuse reporting (Utah Admin. Code R432-700-11; Utah Admin. Code R432-725-8).
Health screening
- Employees must be tested for TB by the Mantoux skin test or an FDA-approved blood test within two weeks of hire, after a suspected exposure, or when TB symptoms develop (Utah Admin. Code R432-700-10(3); Utah Admin. Code R432-725-7(3)).
- Employees with a known positive skin test are exempt from repeat skin testing (Utah Admin. Code R432-700-10(3)(b); Utah Admin. Code R432-725-7(3)(b)).
- The agency must have an employee health screening policy, with health screening and immunization parts developed under the state communicable disease rules (Utah Admin. Code R432-700-10; Utah Admin. Code R432-725-7).
Also in the personnel file
- Personal care aides and certified nursing aides must be at least 18 years old (Utah Admin. Code R432-700-21(2); Utah Admin. Code R432-700-22(1); Utah Admin. Code R432-725-14(1)).
- In a personal care agency, aides must be supervised by a licensed nurse or a certified nursing aide with at least two years of personal or home care experience (Utah Admin. Code R432-725-14(2)).
- The personal care agency supervisor must do an on-site evaluation of each aide in the client's home every six months (Utah Admin. Code R432-725-14(3)).
- Home health agency personnel policies must cover job descriptions, license or certificate checks, orientation, performance evaluations, in-service training, and personnel file contents (Utah Admin. Code R432-700-9(2)).
- New personal care agency employees have 45 days to present original license or certificate documents (Utah Admin. Code R432-725-6(2)).
Common questions
What background checks do home care aides need in Utah?
The provider must enter each worker into the Direct Access Clearance System (DACS) before the person starts a job with possible direct patient access (Utah Admin. Code R432-35-3(1)).
How much training do home care aides need in Utah?
Home health agency staff and personal care agency staff must be trained every year on reporting suspected abuse, neglect and exploitation (Utah Admin. Code R432-700-9(4); Utah Admin. Code R432-725-6(4)).
Do home care workers in Utah need a TB test?
Employees must be tested for TB by the Mantoux skin test or an FDA-approved blood test within two weeks of hire, after a suspected exposure, or when TB symptoms develop (Utah Admin. Code R432-700-10(3); Utah Admin. Code R432-725-7(3)).
Which license does a home care agency need in Utah?
Utah licenses home health agencies under its Home Health Agency Rule, and those agencies must follow the general licensing rule R432-2 (Utah Admin. Code R432-700-6).
Some rules for Utah weren't confirmed from an official source. Check with the state before relying on this page.
Sources
- Utah Admin. Code R432-35-2, Definitions (Cornell LII)
- Utah Admin. Code R432-35-3, Covered Provider DACS Process (Cornell LII)
- Utah Admin. Code R432-35-7, Sources for Background Review (Cornell LII)
- Utah Admin. Code R432-700-6, Licensure Required (Cornell LII)
- Utah Admin. Code R432-725-2, Purpose (Cornell LII)
- Utah Admin. Code R432-725-3, Compliance (Cornell LII)
- Utah Admin. Code R432-700-9, Personnel (Cornell LII)
- Utah Admin. Code R432-700-10, Health Surveillance (Cornell LII)
- Utah Admin. Code R432-700-11, Orientation (Cornell LII)
- Utah Admin. Code R432-700-21, Certified Nursing Aide (Cornell LII)
- Utah Admin. Code R432-700-22, Personal Care Aides (Cornell LII)
- Utah Admin. Code R432-725-6, Personnel (Cornell LII)
- Utah Admin. Code R432-725-7, Health Surveillance (Cornell LII)
- Utah Admin. Code R432-725-8, Orientation (Cornell LII)
- Utah Admin. Code R432-725-14, Personal Care Aides (Cornell LII)
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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