Georgia · Template guide · Updated October 20, 2026

Georgia Home Care Policies and Procedures Template: How to Fill It In

What a Georgia template should already contain, the choices you make in the brackets, and how to adopt it the way Rule 111-8-65 expects.

Short answer: A good Georgia home care policies and procedures template should already contain Georgia’s fixed values: the 7-day service agreement, 7-working-day service plan, 92- and 122-day supervisory visits, 8 hours of annual training, 5-year record retention and GCHEXS fingerprint checks. What’s left for you are your agency’s own choices: your name and service area, your billing terms, how often you review things, and the items the template marks to verify.

What our Georgia template fills in for you

These come straight from Rule 111-8-65, so you don’t change them. You can only make them stricter.

Already written in	Georgia rule
Service agreement by the second visit or within 7 calendar days	Rule .09(2)
Service plan within 7 working days, reviewed at each supervisory visit	Rule .11
Supervisory visits every 92 days (personal care) and 122 days (companion/sitter)	Rule .10(2)
Orientation before client contact; 8 clock hours of training a year after year one	Rule .09(6)
40-hour personal care aide training path under RN direction	Rule .09(5)
Client records and complaint/incident files kept at least 5 years	Rule .09(4)
Written notice of the 10 client rights and the complaint phone number	Rule .12
Fingerprint checks through GCHEXS	Chapter 111-8-12

The choices you fill in

Search the Word file for every [ bracket. These are the ones agencies most often ask about, with the template’s suggested value:

Bracket in the template	What to decide	Georgia note
[AGENCY NAME], [PHONE]	Your legal or trade name and main number	Use Find and Replace; there are over 100 instances
Service area [LIST]	Counties or cities you serve	Only list areas where you can still meet the 92/122-day visit schedule
Visit cancellation [24] hours	Notice you ask clients to give	Agency choice; put the same number in your service agreement
Payment due within [__] days	Your billing terms	The service agreement must state charges (Rule .09(2))
Full reassessment [annually]	How often you redo the in-home assessment	Separate from the required supervisory visits
Background lookback [7] years	Extra checks beyond GCHEXS	GCHEXS is required; the extra lookback is your choice
Personnel records [at least 5 years after employment ends]	Personnel file retention	The rules we reviewed set 5 years for client records; keeping personnel files 5 years too is a safe default
Discharge summary within [7] days	How fast you close out a discharged client	Chapter 111-8-65 sets no discharge-notice period; this is best practice
Governing body meets [Quarterly]	How often owners review operations	Rule .04 requires a governing body; frequency is your choice
QI summary [annually]	How often QI results go to the governing body	A quality improvement program is required (Rule .10(4))

Check these before you adopt it

The Georgia supplement in our manual lists what we couldn’t confirm from the rule text. Check these yourself:

The exact mandated-reporter list and reporting deadline under O.C.G.A. 30-5-4
GCHEXS deadlines and conditional-employment rules under Chapter 111-8-12
The administrator training hours referenced in Rule .09(3)
Current license fees and application forms on the DCH HFRD page
The DCH address and phone numbers you print for clients

Adopt it the way Georgia expects

Finish the brackets and delete services you don’t offer, then update the table of contents.
Have an attorney or consultant review it.
Have your governing body sign the adoption page. Rule .04 makes the governing body responsible for all policies and procedures.
Train staff on it at orientation and keep signed acknowledgments (Form F-01).
Start using the forms with your first client. Surveyors look at records, not just the binder.

Next: what DCH checks in your PHCP policy manual and when, or the rule-by-rule list in Georgia private home care provider policies and procedures.

Template ready to fill in

Georgia Home Care Policy and Procedure Manual

The editable Word template described on this page: 106 pages, 15 sections, 17 forms and the Rule 111-8-65 crosswalk. $79, instant download.

Get the Georgia template

FAQ

Can I use a national home care template in Georgia?

You can start from one, but you’ll have to rewrite the Georgia values above. Generic templates usually use different supervision and training numbers.

Is the template in Word?

Yes. It’s an editable Word document plus a PDF, and it also opens in Google Docs.

How long does it take to fill in?

Most of the work is the bracket search and deleting services you don’t offer. Plan on time for review by an attorney or consultant before adoption.

Do I need to send the template to DCH?

We didn’t find a step where DCH reviews a template before you apply. You attest that your policies are in place, and surveyors check them later.

Sources

This page summarizes Georgia rules and DCH materials as reviewed on October 19–20, 2026 and is not legal advice. Rules and agency procedures change; confirm current requirements with the Georgia Department of Community Health.