Does a caregiver need CPR and first aid certification?
In Georgia assisted living, hands-on staff need current first aid and CPR certification. For private home care and Medicaid personal support, we did not confirm a rule, but the Georgia consumer-directed personal support checklist includes CPR and first aid. Many owners require both anyway.
It depends on your license and program.
- Assisted living (Rule 111-8-63-.09): staff who give hands-on personal services must have current certification in emergency first aid and CPR, unless they are a licensed health professional. The CPR course must include a return demonstration, meaning she shows she can do it.
- Consumer-directed personal support in Georgia’s Elderly and Disabled Waiver: the skills checklist the care coordinator uses with the client lists CPR and first aid among training the client-employer must make sure the employee has before service begins.
- Private home care agencies (Rule 111-8-65-.09): the part of the rule we read focuses on the 40-hour program and the 8 annual hours. We did not confirm a specific CPR requirement. Ask your licensing office.
Even if the rule is silent, CPR is wise. A client falls, a client chokes, and your caregiver is alone. Two hours of training can be the difference.
A simple approach: require CPR and first aid for all caregivers within their first 30 days, renew them on the card’s expiry date, and keep the card copy in the file.
Online-only CPR courses are not always accepted. Confirm that the course includes a hands-on skills check.
Sources
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-63-.09 Workforce Qualifications, Training and Staffing (assisted living) · Cornell Legal Information Institute (Georgia DCH rule text)
- EDWP CD-PSS Skills Inventory / Training Check List · Georgia Medicaid (GAMMIS portal)
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 111-8-65-.09 Administration and Organization (Private Home Care Providers) · Cornell Legal Information Institute (Georgia DCH rule text)
Reviewed by Beth Bledsoe, Care Business Advisor®, 28 Oct 2026. Rules change. Confirm with your state Medicaid agency before you act.
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