9 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Home Health Provider
Choosing the right home health care provider is easier when you know what licensure and certifications they have, their hiring standards, their staffing availability, and how they match caregivers with care recipients. By asking the right questions, you can get the right care for you.
Whether you’re at the lot buying a new car or heading out on a romantic first date, knowing the right questions to ask will help you make an informed decision about what’s best for you. Choosing the right home health care provider is no different.
9 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Home Health Provider
With so many options out there, we’ve put together nine key questions to ask when choosing a home health provider so you can pick a provider that’s the right fit for you.
As you research providers, you may hear the term home health aide — which is not the same as home health care. It’s important to note that a home health aide falls under home care, which is a type of non-medical, in-home care that assists with the activities of daily living (ADLs) like bathing or toileting and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) like preparing meals and shopping for groceries.
1. Is the agency Medicare certified or State licensed?
When choosing a home health provider, it’s important to know if the agency has the right licensing and certification to provide the services you need.
Medicare-certified agencies
Medicare-certified agencies offer skilled services like nursing and therapy, and they can bill Medicare for their services. This means they’ve undergone a federal certification process. Keep in mind, these agencies often charge higher rates.
State Licensed agencies
On the other hand, many home health agencies focus only on non-medical care and might not seek Medicare certification. Whether these providers are licensed can depend on state regulations. Most states do issue licenses to companies providing non-skilled services, but some might only require them to be registered as a business or employment agency.
2. Does the home health agency use its own employees or contract staff?
When an agency employs staff, they are often either employees of the agency or contracted staff. It all comes down to your preference as there are pros and cons to both:
Full-time staff
Overseen by main agency office
Committed to agency’s rules and regulations
Offer consistent and familiar care from the same people
May have less coverage due to smaller team
Contracted staff
Wider care coverage
May not be overseen by main agency office
May not be covered by liability insurance of main agency office
3. What are the home health provider’s hiring standards?
Understanding a provider’s hiring standards can let you know the type and quality of services they provide. Some common hiring standards can include:
Verification of professional licensure or certification for staff
Minimal educational requirements
Prior home health experience
Criminal Offense Record Inquiries (CORI) checks
Annual in-service training and continuing education for all employees
4. What is the provider’s process for scheduling visits?
It’s important to have a discussion with your provider about how staffing is prioritized. Home health providers should prioritize the needs of each care recipient when scheduling visits. At the same time families should partner with their caregiver and remain open to the possibility of schedule changes due to holidays, illnesses, weekends.
Having a clear understanding of visit schedules ahead of time can make any changes in routine run smoothly. It’s important that care recipients and their families also notify their provider if they’re not going to be home for a scheduled visit.
5. Does the home health provider make staff available for emergencies?
During regular office hours, a provider may be able to provide an urgent home visit to assist with a non-life-threatening emergency. When provider offices are closed, providers are still generally available for urgent situations. Even if a provider can’t make a visit, they should be able to answer calls and advise care recipients and their families over the phone.
6. What payment sources do home health providers accept?
Home health providers may accept payments from a variety of sources. If the agency is Medicare certified, skilled home health services may be covered. Many providers accept patients who are using long-term care insurance or out-of-pocket funds. If you have long-term care insurance, make sure you contact your insurer to understand your coverage and to see if you are eligible for your insurance benefits. You may need something like an activities of daily living (ADL) assessment done to determine what kind of care you need.
7. How does the home health agency coordinate care with my physicians and other health care providers?
Communication is key in almost every aspect of life, but especially so when it comes to your health. Your home care agency should be aware of other medical providers involved with your care and be able to communicate changes in your health accordingly. The more communication you can foster among the various health and long-term care professionals the better.
8. How do I voice my concerns with the provider?
Generally, home health providers strive to provide high quality care, but if a care recipient or family member feels that the care received is inadequate in any way, they should immediately inform their provider’s agency.
On the flip side, if you’re impressed with the quality-of-care services, don’t be shy about letting your provider know!
9. How does the home health provider match caregivers to care recipients?
Ensuring the right match between caregivers and clients is crucial for the quality of care. Beyond safety, what is important to you or your loved one? You may want to consider person-centered care, which addresses a person’s physical, mental, spiritual, and social well-being.
Get the information you need
Make sure you get answers to all these questions before deciding on a provider because your health and the care you receive is what’s important. If an agency doesn’t want to answer any of these questions, they may not be the right provider for you. Quality providers should always make sure you have all the information you need to make an informed decision.
Looking for quality providers?
The CareScout Quality Network is the first-ever network of providers who have met rigorous quality standards and are committed to person-centered care. Use our Quality Care Finder to find a provider that has answers to all your questions.
Expert reviewed by
Kelly Briggs, M.A., LSW, CCM
Kelly is a Licensed Social Worker and Board-Certified Case Manager with a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a certificate in trauma studies. She is passionate about helping aging adults and their caregivers understand options, feel empowered in their decision making, ...
Written by
Brian Dowd
Brian is writer based in Woods Hole, MA. He is a passionate storyteller with a knack for finding the extraordinary in the ordinary. He joined CareScout as a Senior Content Writer in 2024. Before that, he worked as a content writer in the senior living industry and worked for several years as an a...
