The
Visiting Nurse Association
Providing Quality Home Health Care Since
1909
Choosing a home health care provider can
be a difficult process. Before you
choose, ask the following questions:
-
How many years
has the agency been serving your
community?
-
Does the Agency
offer printed material describing
its services and costs?
-
Is the agency
accredited? This means that their
quality of care has been surveyed
and approved by an outside
accrediting organization (such as
CHAP, JCAHO or Medicare).
-
Is the agency
licensed by your state (if
required)?
-
Does the agency
provide patients with a “Bill of
Rights? That outlines the rights and
responsibilities of the agency,
patient, and caregiver alike?
-
Is there a
written plan of care for the
patient’s treatment that the
patient, physician and family
participate in developing? Is this
plan updated over the course of the
treatment? Does the patient get a
copy of the plan?
-
Is the patient’s
course of treatment documented,
detailing the specific tasks to be
carried out by each professional?
-
Are supervisors
assigned to oversee care to ensure
quality?
-
Does the agency
staff educate the family members on
the care being administered to the
patient?
-
Are agency
caregivers available 24 hours per
day, 7 days a week?
-
Does the agency
have a nursing supervisor on call
and available 24 hours per day?
-
Does the agency
ensure patient confidentiality?
How?
-
How are agency
employees hired and trained?
-
Does the agency
require a criminal record background
checks and communicable disease
screens for it’s employees?
-
What is the
procedure for resolving issues that
may arise between the patient/family
and home health care staff?
-
What happens if a
staff member fails to make a
scheduled visit?
-
How does the
agency handle billing? (i.e., will I
be billed for services?)
-
Will the agency
provide a list of references?
Not many home health agencies can answer
yes to all of these questions, but the
VNA can!
For more
information please call
(513) 345-8000
or (800) 345-8085