Caring Magazine Highlights Massachusetts Care Transitions Programs

The great work being done by home care agencies in Massachusetts around care transitions was highlighted in an article in the current issue of Caring Magazine, the monthly publication of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC).

In the article written by the Home Care Alliance, the focus is on four agencies involved in the STAAR project (State Action on Avoidable Readmissions) and how their collaborative programs have changed how care transitions are handled.

Additionally, the Home Care Alliance’s “Opt-In” document, a guide to Optimum Performance Standards for Transitions to and From Home Health, is highlighted and shown as a beacon for the work performed by these four agencies and any other agencies or  providers working with home health to improve care transitions.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

 

 

 

Home Care Accreditation Program Reaches Achievement

With 50 private pay home care agencies now approved for the Home Care Accreditation Program, the Home Care Alliance took the opportunity to distribute a media announcement to mark the occasion.

A blurb on the accreditation program milestone has run, so far, in the Milford Daily News and Metrowest Daily News. Please see the full announcement below:

Home Care Accreditation Program Hits Milestone

Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts Program Gains 50^th Private Pay Home Care Agency

In less than one year, fifty private pay home care agencies have applied and been approved for a new accreditation program promoting quality, safety, and business standards set by the non-profit Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts

“We have been so pleased with the popularity of this program, which was conceived as a means to promote quality services, ethical business standards, and superior employment practices,” said Home Care Alliance Executive Director Patricia Kelleher. “This isn’t simply a stamp of approval. Private Home Care Accreditation has strict requirements agencies must meet because families have a level of expectation that their loved ones are receiving the best services possible.”

In the absence of meaningful licensure requirements for providers of home care services in Massachusetts, the Home Care Alliance established this Accreditation Program for Private Pay agencies (agencies who are not paid by Medicare or Medicaid).

The standards were developed over several months in consultation with 14 agencies throughout the Commonwealth.  These standards require that agencies submit an application and documentation to the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts.  Alliance staff and member agencies then review the application to ensure that applicants meet all of the standards.

Agencies seeking accreditation answer questions in fourteen categories, including training requirements, administrative protocols, and business practices.  They are be required to show documentation in answer to questions regarding services plans between clients and the agency, procedures around responding to complaints, and their oversight of caregivers.

“We wanted to provide leadership for an area that is becoming more and more important in Massachusetts,” added Kelleher, “These standards will highlight our agencies’ best practices, which will help guide members of the public as they choose who will take care of their loved ones in their homes. We hope to one day sign up all private care agencies we possibly can in Massachusetts to prove our state’s commitment to quality home-based care.”

A full list of accredited agencies from across the state, and more information about the Accreditation Program standards, is available at www.thinkhomecare.org/accreditation.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Home Care Featured on Physician Focus TV Show

Home care is the subject of April’s “Physician Focus,” a half-hour cable access television show hosted by the Massachusetts Medical Society that educates audiences about a new health or medical issue each month.

The Home Care Alliance’s Executive Director Patricia Kelleher is a guest on this month’s show, along with Robert Schreiber, M.D., Physician-in-Chief at Hebrew Senior Life and the show’s discussion examines many aspects of home health care, including who is eligible for services, the kinds of services available, and what issues need to be considered when thinking about home care for a family member.

A related press release regarding this month’s episode on home care was distributed across the state and ran in the following publications, among others:

• Lancaster Times and Courier
• Holliston TAB
• Lincoln Journal
• Acton Beacon
• Boxborough Beacon
• Burlington Union
• Hudson Sun
• North Andover Citizen
• Beverly Citizen
• Country Gazette, Foxboro
• Wicked Local/Nantucket

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

More News Coverage of Accredited Members, Ctd.

More announcements in local press about members who have received the Alliance’s Agency Accreditation:

Community Nurse Private Care

…[A] private-pay home care agency, based in Fairhaven and Dartmouth, is among the first in the state to earn accreditation from the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts…

“We are proud to be in the initial group of home care agencies to promote these accreditation standards that convey Community Nurse & Hospice Care’s commitment to quality,” CEO and President Jane Stankiewicz said. “The peace of mind for our clients is paramount and we are hopeful people will continue to see the advantages of keeping people independent in their homes and communities.”

Northeast HomeCare

…Beverly and Addison Gilbert hospitals’ private-duty home care agency was one of the first organizations in the state to earn accreditation from the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts. The alliance represents 170 home health and elder care agencies across Massachusetts and has created an accreditation protocol to promote quality services, ethical business standards and superior employment practices.

Since Massachusetts does not offer a specific license for private pay home care agencies, the Alliance created a Home Care Agency Accreditation Program in July 2010 to establish operational and quality standards equivalent to licensure in most other states.

Accreditation is only awarded to agencies that meet or exceed all fourteen standards relating to: client rights,
privacy, and complaint procedures; protections against abuse; fair employment practices; caregiver criminal background screening; competency, training and supervision; insurance coverage; and compliance with all applicable federal, state & local laws.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

More News Coverage of Accredited Members

Comfort Keepers of MetroWest, South Shore and Cape Cod:

…has hired 50 new caregivers and administrators and expects to hire at a rate of five new employees per week to keep up with increasing demand for in-home senior care services…

In addition to the [improving] economic situation, Mullaney credits the company’s growth in part to their recent accreditation by the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts. Accreditation for in-home pay care is new to Massachusetts, and Comfort Keepers was among the first pay-for-care organizations to be accredited.

“Accreditation allows Comfort Keepers to be a preferred provider with government agencies. We were just approved by Massachusetts Brain Injury to be a preferred provider as well,” Raquel Mullaney said.

Greater Medford VNA & Additional Care

… is among the first in the state to earn accreditation from the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts.

The alliance, which represents 170 home health and elder care agencies across Massachusetts, has created an accreditation protocol to promote quality services, ethical business standards and superior employment practices in an industry that lacks meaningful licensure in the commonwealth of Massachusetts even while it grows in popularity.

“We are proud to be in the initial group of home care agencies to promote these accreditation standards that convey Greater Medford VNA and Additional Care’s commitment to quality,” said the agency’s CEO Marie Knasas. “The peace of mind for our clients is paramount and we are hopeful people will continue to see the advantages of keeping people independent in their homes and communities.”

Bayada Nurses

…has expanded its Massachusetts service area to cover Martha’s Vineyard and the South Coast. Personal care and support services will be provided from Bayada’s Falmouth, service office to clients in Martha’s Vineyard and the Upper Cape (Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, and Sandwich), and South Coast (Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Marion, Mattapoisett, and New Bedford).

“We’re thrilled to be able to provide even more people with Bayada’s high quality home health care services, which are delivered with compassion, excellence, and reliability,” said Neal O’Brien, director of Bayada’s Falmouth office….

Each Bayada Nurses Massachusetts office, including Falmouth, is accredited by the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts and the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP).

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Alliance Members Thrive With Accreditation

From the Halifax Plympton Reporter:

In addition to the economic situation, [Comfort Keepers of South Shore, Cape Cod & Metrowest co-owner Robert] Mullaney credits the company’s growth in part to their recent accreditation by the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts. Accreditation for in-home pay care is new to Massachusetts, and Comfort Keepers was among the first pay-for-care organizations to be accredited.

“Accreditation allows Comfort Keepers to be a preferred provider with government agencies. We were just approved by Massachusetts Brain Injury to be a preferred provider as well,” Raquel Mullaney said.

The Alliance launched its Agency Accreditation Program in July 2010 and accredited 34 of its agencies as of December 9, 2010.   To become accredited, agencies must demonstrate compliance with and/or documentation of 14 points regarding hiring, background checks, training, complaint/abuse reporting, and proof of various insurances.  The program is the only of its kind in Massachusetts and is open to all home care agencies in the state.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

HCA Welcomes New Member: Charaka Home Care

The Alliance is pleased to welcome its newest member, Charaka Home Care, a private care agency in Boston, Massachusetts.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Nurse Applauds Congressman McGovern for Visit

In appreciation of Congressman Jim McGovern’s recent home visit with Community VNA of Attleboro, the nurse who the Congressman accompanied wrote an Op-Ed praising McGovern’s support of home health issues. The editorial appears here in the Attleboro Sun-Chronicle.

Sandy Legg-Forgiel was the registered nurse and telemonitoring coordinator for Community VNA who brought Congressman McGovern on the visit to the home of a patient on telehealth services. In addition to his existing support, McGovern agreed to sign on to an initiative that would expand the use of remote patient-monitoring services.

Congressman McGovern is a leading champion in Washington DC for the home health industry having established the Home Health Working Group in Congress and has filed or signed on to several pieces of legislation throughout his career that were of benefit to home care.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Metrowest Daily News Promotes HCA Accreditation Program

The Home Care Alliance’s new Accreditation Program, which was recently announced at an event for members at Hebrew SeniorLife Home Care, is already gaining attention.

The Metrowest Daily News ran a story on the program that is meant to promote a series of standards for private duty home care agencies. The article mentions that, “The new standards cover areas such as recognizing and reporting elder abuse, ensuring services and costs are clear to customers up-front, and establishing procedures for clients to report problems with aides.”

The article states further a need for such standards as “Locally, the population of residents 75 and older was measured at nearly 26,000 in the 2000 Census, but that number is expected to grow to more than 40,000 by 2030, according to data from the MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation.”

The Metrowest Daily News covers 27 towns west of Boston, including Framingham.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

MA Home Health Agencies Excel in Medicare Demo Project

As a result of their efforts to achieve measurable improvement goals in patient health and quality of life, eighteen Massachusetts home health agencies received a share of a federal performance pool of $15.4 million, which is also the national Medicare savings attained through the project.

For more information, see the Alliance’s press release.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.