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If your caregiver gets sick or goes on vacation, the agency will schedule another caregiver to work with you or your family member.

Finding the right Home Health Aide can be a daunting task. However, this is what you need to look for.

Here are some questions you can ask:

1.  Is the Home Health Agency or Health Care Service Firm licensed and accredited? In NJ only agencies that have a Personal Care license can provide personal care services.

2. How does the agency screen and select caregivers prior to an assignment?

3. Is there a licensed health care professional, who along with the client and family develops an individualized plan of care? How are emergencies handled after normal business hours?

4. Does the agency manage all payroll and employee related matters? 

5. How often are caregiver services monitored, and does the agency employ a full time registered nurse or other qualified professional to make regular visits to the client's home?

When selecting a home care agency, there are some very important questions that you should ask of your prospective services provider:

1. Is the Care Provider Answer:
• Home Care Agency,
• Employment Agency,
• Registry/Broker,
• Independent Contractor?

Home care agencies accept responsibility for screening, training, insuring, and supervising their staff. The other models do not.


2. How long has the agency been providing private duty home care?
3. How does the agency screen and select caregivers prior to an assignment? Do they hire independent contractors?
4. Are references checked and criminal background and drug screens conducted on all employees?
5. Is there a licensed health care professional, who along with the client and family develops an individualized plan of care? How are emergencies handled after normal business hours?
6. How often are caregiver services monitored, and does the agency employ a full time registered nurse or other qualified professional to make regular visits to the client's home?
7. Does the agency adheres to state and federal guidelines in their employment practices, such as: withholding appropriate taxes, providing workers, compensation and other benefits? h. Does the agency manage all payroll and employee related matters?

Medicaid is the primary source of long-term care coverage for the elderly and peoples with disabilities, including middle-income individuals who spend down their financial resources. Medicaid covers skilled nursing-facility care, home health care and home- and community-based services.

According to your information you may be eligible for Medicaid covered home health care services.

However, the eligibility for Medicaid is based on your personal situation and is approved on a case by case basis. To check your eligibility and get more information regarding Medicaid services for seniors call us at Affinity.

Unfortunately, the answer is "no".

Medicare covers some home health care only if the patient's condition is serious and only if all of the following conditions are meet:

1. A doctor prescribes medical care at home;
2. The patient requires on-going skilled nursing or physical therapy;
3. The patient is homebound.

There are other options for acquiring home health care: private pay, long-term care insurance and a number of different state programs.  However, the eligibility for state programs is based on your personal situation and is approved on a case by case basis. If you would like more information regarding state and federal programs available for seniors please call us at Affinity.