Understand training requirements for New Mexico

Caregiving roles in New Mexico

Private-pay Caregivers
Homemaker Personal Care Aides
Personal Care Attendants (PCOs)
Medication Aides
Home Health Aides.

Number of hours to meet the requirement for initial onboarding training

Private-pay Caregiver: Currently, there are no specific training requirements for private-pay caregivers in New Mexico. However, CareAcademy offers initial training options to support caregiver onboarding.
Homemaker Personal Care Aide (Home Health Agency, Public Pay): Initial training for Homemaker Personal Care Aides includes 40 hours. This consists of 2 hours of agency-specific orientation and 8 hours of client-specific training before providing services. The remaining 30 hours must be completed within 1 year of hire. Agencies must notify the New Mexico Department of Health about their training plans.
Personal Care Attendant (PCO): Personal Care Attendants are required to meet specific state regulations but do not have defined initial training hours for new hires. CareAcademy cannot offer initial training for this caregiver type.
Medication Aides: Medication Aides must complete a 2-hour topic-specific initial training as part of their certification process. This is required before administering medications under the supervision of a registered nurse.
Home Health Aide: Home Health Aides must complete 75 hours of initial training, including 59 didactic hours and 16 clinical hours. This training is followed by a competency evaluation, which includes a written test and a skills demonstration, observed by a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse.

Number of hours to meet the requirement for annual training

Private-pay Caregiver: Continuing education for private-pay caregivers is not specified by the state. CareAcademy offers training options to support caregivers’ ongoing professional development.
Homemaker Personal Care Aide (Home Health Agency, Public Pay): Homemaker Personal Care Aides must complete 10 hours of annual in-service training, which must be documented within each 12-month period.
Personal Care Attendant (PCO): Continuing education requirements are not specified for Personal Care Attendants in New Mexico. CareAcademy cannot offer continuing education for this caregiver type.
Medication Aides: Medication Aides are not required to complete annual continuing education, but CareAcademy recommends refresher training to maintain competency and enhance caregiver skills.
Home Health Aide: Home Health Aides must complete 12 hours of annual training, which is required to be completed during each 12-month period after hire. The first year’s training may be prorated depending on the hire date.

Caregivers can get the following training through CareAcademy

Private-pay Caregiver: CareAcademy provides training to supplement onboarding, offering courses that cover essential caregiver skills.
Homemaker Personal Care Aide (Home Health Agency, Public Pay): CareAcademy offers training that can be used to meet the required 40 hours of initial training and 10 hours of annual in-service training.
Personal Care Attendant (PCO): CareAcademy provides general training resources but cannot offer training specifically required by New Mexico for PCAs.
Medication Aides: CareAcademy can provide supplemental training to support medication aides, although initial training must be completed through a certified program.
Home Health Aide: CareAcademy offers both initial training and annual continuing education courses for Home Health Aides to help meet state training requirements.

What do you need to know about caregiver training requirements?

Caregiver training requirements in New Mexico depend on the care setting in which they work. In New Mexico, many home care agencies are required to be licensed, and the agency's license type will determine the specific training requirements for caregivers. The different agency license types in New Mexico include: Home Health Agencies, Hospice Agencies, Private-pay Home Care Agencies.

Licensing authorities

Private-pay Caregiver

No specific licensing authority is required for private-pay caregivers in New Mexico. CareAcademy can support training but is not responsible for certification.

Homemaker Personal Care Aide (Home Health Agency, Public Pay)

The licensing authority for Homemaker Personal Care Aides is the New Mexico Department of Health, under Regulations: NMAC 7.28.2.

Personal Care Attendant (PCO)

The licensing authority for Personal Care Attendants is the New Mexico Human Services Department, under Regulations: 8.315.4.

Medication Aides

The licensing authority for Medication Aides is the New Mexico Board of Nursing, under Regulations: Title 16 Chapter 12 Part 05.

Home Health Aide

The licensing authority for Home Health Aides is the New Mexico Department of Health, under Regulations: 7.28.2.30.

Try CareAcademy risk-free

To understand how transformative our approach is, see how engaged and confident your caregivers become. Start your free 14-day trial right now. No credit card required.

Add caregivers

Assign classes – or take one yourself

Start Your Free Trial