Caring For The Ill In The Home

By Vaughn McDonald

There are many questions that should be answered when choosing a home health or hospice agency. The following are among the most important points to remember:
Choice: Each patient has the right to choose his or her home care or hospice provider unless the patient has previously signed with a healthcare provider under contract. If you are a patient in the hospital, the discharge planner must give you the choice of available home care or hospice agencies.

Licensure and Certification: You should choose a home health or hospice agency that is licensed by the state in which you will receive care. The agency should also be certified by Medicare under the conditions of participation establish by the Department of Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Accreditation: Many home care agencies pursue additional accreditation to validate quality of service. Accreditation groups such as the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) or the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP) accredit home care and hospice agencies.

Quality: Quality of care may be verified by consulting the state department of health licensure and survey department to determine if there are any quality issues or sanctions outstanding against a home care or hospice agency. One might also inquire as to the existence of a quality assessment or quality management department within the agency, which oversees the quality of care and the competence of individual providers such as registered nurses or therapists.

Personal Reference: Recommendations of friends or family who have used the home care or hospice agency can be an indicator of the level of satisfaction of the service.

Cost of Services: Each agency is required to establish a list of charges for home care or hospice services. If a you are eligible for Medicare Part A home care or hospice services, the agency will provide that service to the patient under contract with Medicare with no charge to the patient. Private pay services may be negotiated with the agency under a contractual arrangement where the patient pays based on the need for services. You should be certain prior to any treatment by a home care or hospice agency what costs are involved in your care.
Patient Bill of Rights: Each home care or hospice agency should have a published patient bill of rights that specifies your rights to receive care, your rights to question the care that you have been given and the confidentiality of clinical records and other issues of personal privacy.