Getting certified as a Home Care Aide (HCA) can feel complicated, especially with rules changing in recent years. To support workers and employers, the Washington State Legislature passed Senate Bill 5672  in May 2025. The Department of Health (DOH) has now adopted emergency rules that extend the HCA certification deadline to 365 days from the date of hire . This new timeline applies to all workers hired through December 31, 2027  and replaces the previous 200-day rule. Trai

In Washington state, all long-term caregivers are required to be properly certified within a certain timeframe. Being a long-term care facility owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that your caregivers have all the necessary certifications. While their own training is their own legal responsibility, you cannot hire an HCA for longer than 200 days. It is all part of HCA training deadlines everyone has to follow. Given the challenging turnover numbers and the fact tha