Getting the Best Home Care:

A Consumers Checklist

Finding the home care provider best suited for a patient's needs requires research, but it is time well spent. Important factors include the quality of care, availability of needed services, personal training and expertise, and coverage provided by your insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid. Fortunately, most communities have a variety of providers from which to choose.

In researching providers you can visit www.healthgrades.com, which is an independent organization that scores health care providers based on their quality of care and performance standards.

Your physician or hospital discharge planner can help you locate home care providers in your area. Your state's departments of health, aging, and social services also may assist you in identifying appropriate providers. Also, the Association for Home and Hospice Care of NC can be a valuable resource of information and assist you in locating a provider. You can visit their website at www.homeandhospicecare.org

Consider the following questions when deciding which provider is best for you and your loved ones and to ensure that you receive the highest quality care.

• How long has the home care agency been serving your community?

• Is it certified by Medicare to provide home care services?

• Is the agency licensed by the state to provide home care services?

• Does the home care agency provide literature outlining its services, eligibility requirements, fees, and sources of funding? Many providers furnish patients with a detailed "Patient Bill of Rights" that outlines the rights and responsibilities of the providers, patients, and caregivers alike. An annual report and other educational materials also can give helpful information about the provider.

• If your insurance does not completely cover home care services, does the agency provide adequate information about its charges? Does the agency have a sliding fee scale if you are unable to pay in full for its services?

• How does this provider select and train its employees? Does it protect its workers with written personnel policies, benefits packages, and malpractice insurance?

• Are nurses or therapists required to evaluate the patient's home care needs? If so, what does this entail? Do they consult the patient's physicians and family members?

• Does this provider include the patient and his or her family members in developing the plan of care? Are they involved in making care plan changes?

• Is the patient's course of treatment documented, detailing the specific tasks to be carried out by each professional caregiver? Do the patient and his or her family receive a copy of this plan, and do the caregivers update it as changes occur? Does this provider take time to educate family members on care being administered to the patient?

• Does this provider assign supervisors to oversee the quality of care patients are receiving in their homes? If so, how often do these individuals make visits? Who can the patient and his or her family members call with questions or complaints? How does the agency follow up on and resolve problems?

• What are the financial procedures of this provider? Does the provider furnish written statements explaining all of the costs and payment plan options associated with home care?

• What procedures does this provider have in place to handle emergencies? Are its care givers available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

• How does this provider ensure patient confidentiality?

This and additional information is detailed in the brochure, How to Choose a Home Care Provider: A Consumer's Guide. For a free copy, write to the National Association of Home Care, c/o Consumer Guide, 228 Seventh Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003, of access its web site at http://www.nahc.org.