5 lessonsAbout 34 minutesNo CE or licensure credit

ARF medications: helping adults take their own medications

Five short lessons for adult residential facility (ARF) administrators and direct-care staff on 22 CCR 80075(b): what help with self-administration is, who may give it, refusals, inhalers and injections, PRN orders and labels, and the three PRN cases with the records each one needs.

Written for

  • Facility leadership
  • Facility and direct-care teams
Course version
2026.10.3
Text checked against its sources

Before you begin

What you will be able to do

  • Sort a medication task in an ARF as help with self-administration, and stop before any forcing, hiding, withholding or overriding of a refusal.
  • Check that a staff member who helps with inhalers has training from a licensed professional on file, with a yearly review, and keep injections with the client or a person the law allows.
  • Check a PRN medication for a signed, dated physician order and a label that both carry the four required items, before helping with any dose.
  • Match each PRN dose to the right case (the client decides, the client describes symptoms, or staff call the physician first) and write the records that case needs.

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In this course

  1. Helping a client take her own medicationAbout 7 minutes · Not yet
  2. Never force, hide or withhold; respect a refusalAbout 7 minutes · Not yet
  3. Inhalers and injectionsAbout 7 minutes · Not yet
  4. PRN orders, labels and a client who can decideAbout 7 minutes · Not yet
  5. PRN help when the client cannot decideAbout 7 minutes · Not yet
  6. Course check · 10 questions0 of 5 lessons done

Sources

Sources behind this course

Each lesson lists the sources it uses. Open the original for the exact rule, form or instruction that applies to your work. The source library describes each one in more detail.

California CDSS (regulation text on Cornell LII)

Title 22, section 80075: Health-related services

Help with self-administration of medications in adult community care facilities (ARFs): inhaler training, injections, what assistance does not include, and the three PRN cases with their orders, labels and records.

Where to look: Subdivision (b), paragraphs (1) to (6). Cornell LII shows the PRN order and label paragraph as (b)(6)(D); the CDSS manual numbers it (b)(7).

Open section 80075 on Cornell LII
California CDSS (regulation text on Cornell LII)

Title 22, section 80001: Definitions

The community care facility definitions: adult CCF (an ARF), adult residential facility, authorized representative, care and supervision, client, conservator, licensed professional, physician and PRN medication.

Where to look: Subdivisions (a)(4), (a)(5), (a)(7), (c)(3), (c)(9), (c)(15), (l)(3), (p)(1) and (p)(3).

Open section 80001 on Cornell LII
California CDSS (regulation text on Cornell LII)

Title 22, section 80065: Personnel requirements

Competent staff, minimum age for care staff, on-the-job training or related experience (including assistance with self-administered prescribed medications) and the duty to report personal-rights violations.

Where to look: Subdivisions (a), (d)(2), (f)(4), (f)(5) and (m).

Open section 80065 on Cornell LII
California CDSS (regulation text on Cornell LII)

California Code of Regulations, title 22, section 80072 (Personal rights)

Clients' personal rights, including freedom from punishment, coercion and the withholding of medication, and the right to receive or reject medical care or health-related services.

Where to look: Subdivision (a)(3) and (a)(9).

Open section 80072 on Cornell LII
California CDSS (regulation text on Cornell LII)

Title 22, section 80092.8: Diabetes

When an adult CCF may accept or keep a client with diabetes: she gives her own medication and tests, or a licensed professional gives the tests and injections; help for clients who do their own care.

Where to look: Subdivision (a)(2) and (b).

Open section 80092.8 on Cornell LII
California CDSS (regulation text on Cornell LII)

Title 22, section 85064: Administrator qualifications and duties (ARF)

Every ARF has a certified administrator; the administrator's duties include training qualified staff.

Where to look: Subdivisions (b) and (j)(3).

Open section 85064 on Cornell LII
California CDSS (regulation text on Cornell LII)

Title 22, section 85065: Personnel requirements (ARF)

The ARF personnel rule, in addition to section 80065: services needing specialized skills are done by licensed or certified personnel.

Where to look: Subdivisions (a) and (f).

Open section 85065 on Cornell LII
California CDSS (regulation text on Cornell LII)

Title 22, section 85075: Health-related services (ARF)

The ARF health-related services rule, in addition to section 80075: a plan to help clients meet medical and dental needs.

Where to look: Subdivisions (a) and (b).

Open section 85075 on Cornell LII
California CDSS (regulation text on Cornell LII)

Title 22, section 85075.4: Observation of the client (ARF)

Regular observation of each ARF client, and bringing observed changes to the physician and authorized representative.

Where to look: Subdivisions (a) and (c).

Open section 85075.4 on Cornell LII
California Legislature (statute text on california.public.law)

Health and Safety Code section 1562.3: ARF administrator certification

The ARF administrator certification program: 35 hours before employment, including the use, misuse and interaction of medications commonly used by residents.

Where to look: Subdivisions (b)(1) and (c)(1)(G).

Open section 1562.3
California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing

CDSS Manual of Policies and Procedures, General Licensing Requirements (Title 22, Division 6, Chapter 1), part 3

The Department's printed text of section 80075, where the PRN order and label paragraph is numbered (b)(7), separate from the third PRN case.

Where to look: Section 80075, manual pages 123 to 125.

Open the CDSS general licensing manual, part 3 (PDF)
Call the ALW teamFit check