How to Choose a Home Health Agency

Article Submitted by Alacare Home Health & Hospice. For additional information on palliative care or any other aspect of home health and hospice services, contact Alacare at 888-252-2273 or visit www.alacare.com.

Chances are good that at some time in your life, you or someone you love is going to need home health care. Selecting the right home health agency is an important decision, but by doing a little research you can find quality care that's professional, reliable, and compassionate.

Look at the agency's history. An agency should gladly supply references from other patients or referring physicians. Ask if the agency is approved by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), the nationally recognized seal of approval in healthcare. Quality comparative measures that healthcare providers can use to evaluate their level of compliance against state and national standards are available from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). You can check out any home care agency's patient outcomes by going to www.medicare.gov and clicking on "Home Health Compare" or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.

Ask questions about the people working for the agency. All employees should have the proper certification and licensure for the duties they perform, and the agency should perform background checks to ensure that all employees are qualified. Healthcare is an ever-changing business, so a home health agency should require its workers to undergo continuing education.

Is the agency up-front about its costs? A good home health provider will not hesitate to address your financial concerns, and will provide you with a written statement explaining insurance coverage and out-of-pocket expenses. Be sure the provider you choose is certified by Medicare and Medicaid.

Determine whether the provider can cover your full range of needs. You may need home medical equipment, private-duty nursing, even hospice care. Look for a full-service agency that can offer you the convenience, coordination, and continuity of providing everything you need. Not every problem for home health patients can wait for the next regularly scheduled visit. There should be someone available to answer questions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there should be care providers on call to make urgent visits if necessary.