The Home Care Alliance is proud to announce that the Home Care Accreditation Program offered to private pay agencies, has now reached 60 providers!
See our press release on this important milestone below:
Home Care Accreditation Program Reaches 60 Agencies
New Stricter Standards for Private Pay Home Care Providers
Boston, MA – With brand new standards that are more stringent to protect patients, improve quality care and promote ethical business practices, the Home Care Accreditation Program offered by the non-profit Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts for private pay home care providers, continues to grow and has now reached it’s 60th agency.
“These new standards for Accreditation raise the bar for agencies, which only can lead to positive things for patients looking to remain independent in their homes,” said Home Care Alliance Executive Director Patricia Kelleher. “We hope the public realizes that this simply isn’t a stamp of approval, but a strong display of our commitment to quality and assurance that these agencies are meeting strict standards. Families deserve that peace of mind that their loved ones are receiving the best services out there.”
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, which do not receive reimbursement from 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. Recently, the Home Care Alliance’s Board of Directors approved stronger standards that are meant to show the organization’s commitment to maintaining quality services.
Agencies seeking accreditation answer questions in fifteen categories, including training requirements, administrative protocols, and business practices. They are required to show documentation in answer to questions regarding service 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 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 aim to approve as many private care agencies as 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.
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