Georgia · PHCP licensing · Updated October 20, 2026

Georgia PHCP Policy Manual: What DCH Checks and When

How your private home care provider policy manual is reviewed, from the application to the initial survey and re-licensure, and what to have ready.

Short answer: A Georgia PHCP (private home care provider) policy manual gets checked twice. First, when you apply, you sign an Affidavit of Compliance saying your policies and procedures are written and will be put in place once you’re approved. Then, during the 3-month provisional license, you have to start operating, admit at least 3 clients and ask DCH for your initial survey, where surveyors compare what your agency does with Rule 111-8-65 and your own written policies.

When DCH looks at your PHCP policy manual

Stage	What happens	What your manual has to do
Application	You apply to DCH’s Healthcare Facility Regulation Division and sign the Affidavit of Compliance.	Exist in writing and be adopted by your governing body (Rule .04).
Provisional license (3 months)	You must become operational, admit at least 3 clients and request your initial survey.	Be in use: staff trained on it, forms filled in for real clients.
Initial survey	Surveyors review your records against Rule 111-8-65.	Match practice. A policy you don’t follow is a deficiency, not a defense.
Re-licensure and complaints	Re-licensure surveys about every 18 to 24 months, plus unannounced inspections.	Stay current. Review it at least once a year and after any rule change.

The timeline above comes from DCH’s Private Home Care Provider application checklist. The rule citations come from Chapter 111-8-65.

What surveyors can check against your manual

These are the Georgia requirements that leave a paper trail. Each one should have a written policy, and the records should show you follow it:

Service agreement within 7 days Rule .09(2)

Signed by the second visit or within 7 calendar days of starting services, whichever is earlier, with the required elements. Expect surveyors to compare the date on the agreement with the first visit date.

Service plan within 7 working days Rule .11

Completed within 7 working days of starting services and reviewed at each supervisory visit.

Supervisory visits every 92 or 122 days Rule .10(2)

Every 92 days for personal care clients, by an RN or LPN for medically frail clients, and every 122 days for companion/sitter clients. Visit records are the evidence.

Personnel files Rule .09(4)(c)

Work history, qualifications, TB screening at hire and annually, job description, orientation and training records, and an annual written evaluation.

Training Rules .09(5)–(6)

Orientation before working with clients, the 40-hour personal care aide path or companion competency, and at least 8 clock hours of training a year after the first year.

Records for 5 years Rule .09(4)

Client records and complaint and incident files kept at least 5 years.

Client rights and complaints Rule .12

Written notice of the 10 listed rights, complaint procedures, and the provider’s complaint phone number given to clients.

Fingerprint checks GCHEXS

Fingerprint-based checks through the Georgia Criminal History Check System. DCH’s checklist asks for determination letters dated within 12 months of submission.

Have this ready on survey day

The policy manual, with the adoption page signed by your governing body
A personnel file for every worker, including the fingerprint determination letter
For each client: a signed service agreement, a service plan, daily service notes and supervisory visit records
Your complaint and incident log, even if it’s short
Quality improvement records, such as meeting notes and any corrective actions
Proof of training: orientation sign-in sheets and annual training hours

For the rule-by-rule list of what your written policies must cover, read Georgia private home care provider policies and procedures. To fill in a ready-made manual, see how to fill in a Georgia home care policies and procedures template.

Survey-ready start

Georgia Home Care Policy and Procedure Manual

106 pages, 15 sections, 17 forms and a Rule 111-8-65 crosswalk you can hand to a surveyor. Editable Word plus PDF, $79.

See the Georgia manual

FAQ

Does DCH approve my PHCP policy manual before I open?

Not as a separate approval step that we could find. You attest in the Affidavit of Compliance that your policies are in place, and surveyors check them during the initial survey after you begin serving clients.

What is the Affidavit of Compliance?

It’s part of the DCH application. You sign it to say your policies and procedures have been developed and will be put in place once you’re approved.

How long is the provisional license?

DCH’s application checklist says 3 months. In that time you must become operational, admit at least 3 clients and request your initial survey.

Do companion/sitter-only agencies need the same manual?

Yes. Georgia licenses companion/sitter-only agencies as private home care providers too. A few rules differ, such as 122-day supervisory visits instead of 92-day.

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.