Home care aides.

Senator Limón's proposal to expand California's Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act would require home care aides to complete annual training on caring for clients with dementia, adding to existing requirements for entry-level and ongoing professional education.

Under current law, home care organizations must ensure their aides complete five hours of entry-level training before working with clients, covering orientation and basic safety protocols. Aides must also undergo five hours of annual training on topics including client rights, daily care needs, abuse prevention, and personal hygiene assistance. The proposed legislation maintains these baseline requirements while adding dementia care to the mandatory annual curriculum.

The measure allows both initial and ongoing training to be completed through online programs, providing flexibility in how organizations deliver the required instruction. As with existing training mandates, violations would constitute misdemeanors under the Act. While the bill creates new obligations for local agencies to enforce these requirements, it specifies that local governments will not receive state reimbursement for any associated costs.