If your home health agency serves Indiana patients, a critical compliance deadline is approaching fast. Effective July 1, 2026, the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) is updating requirements for home health agencies — and one of the key changes involves staff certification in CPR and Basic Life Support (BLS).
As a home health administrator, clinical manager, or safety officer, it's your responsibility to ensure your team is ready. Here's what's changing, who it affects, and how to get compliant before the deadline.
The IDOH now requires all home health staff with direct patient contact to maintain current CPR/BLS certification as a condition of compliance.
What's Changing and Why
The IDOH has aligned Indiana's home health requirements with national standards for patient safety. The core requirement is straightforward: any staff member who enters a patient's home or provides direct care must hold a valid CPR or BLS certification. This isn't a suggestion — it's a compliance requirement that will be checked during state surveys.
The reasoning is clear. Home health staff work in unsupervised environments where medical emergencies can arise at any moment. A patient may experience cardiac arrest, respiratory distress, or a fall while alone with a home health aide. Having certified staff on scene can mean the difference between life and death.
Who Is Affected?
The new requirement applies broadly to any staff with direct patient contact, including:
- 🏥Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) providing in-home skilled care
- 👤Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and home health aides assisting with daily living activities
- 🩺Physical, occupational, and speech therapists delivering in-home therapy services
- 📋Social workers and case managers who conduct in-home assessments
- 📦Any other staff who enter client homes as part of their job responsibilities
The Compliance Timeline
The July 1, 2026 deadline is firm. Agencies should not wait until June to begin the certification process. Training takes time to schedule, and finding dates that work across your entire clinical team requires advance planning.
Audit your current certifications
Pull the certification records for every employee with patient contact. Identify whose certifications are current, whose are expiring before July 1, and whose have already lapsed.
Determine your training needs
Decide which staff need full CPR/AED certification versus BLS (healthcare provider level). BLS is typically recommended for clinical staff like nurses and therapists.
Schedule group training
Contact a training provider to schedule on-site sessions that cover your team. Group training is more cost-effective and ensures your entire team is certified on the same schedule.
Document and track
Maintain a tracking system for certification expiration dates so you never fall out of compliance between survey cycles.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
Agencies that fail to meet the new requirements risk citation during IDOH surveys. Repeated or serious deficiencies can lead to enforcement actions, including plans of correction, civil penalties, or in extreme cases, termination from Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Beyond regulatory consequences, there is the human cost. An uncertified staff member facing a patient emergency without the skills to respond is a liability no agency can afford.
⚠️ Don't wait until survey season
Start your compliance process now. Certification training takes 2–4 hours per staff member, but scheduling, coordination, and documentation add lead time. The agencies that plan ahead will have a smooth survey experience.
How Resqu Health Can Help
Resqu Health specializes in on-site CPR and BLS training for home health agencies across Central Indiana. We bring all equipment — manikins, AED trainers, pocket masks — directly to your facility, so your entire team can be certified in a single session without traveling.
We offer flexible scheduling, group discounts for teams of 6 or more, and both CPR/AED and BLS (healthcare provider) certifications. Our courses meet IDOH requirements and are taught by experienced instructors who understand the home health environment.
Next Steps
The July 1 deadline is approaching faster than it seems. Here's what to do today:
- ✅Audit your team's current CPR/BLS certifications and identify gaps
- ✅Determine how many staff need initial certification vs. renewal
- ✅Contact Resqu Health to schedule on-site training before the deadline
- ✅Implement a tracking system to stay ahead of future expirations
💡 Plan Ahead
Group training slots fill quickly in the weeks leading up to a compliance deadline. Contact us at least 3–4 weeks before your target training date to secure availability for your team.