General Home Care FAQ’s
Answers to your questions!
When deciding on a home care agency, what factors do patients and their families consider?
When choosing a home care agency or facility to work with, consumers have very few resources to seek out reliable information. Marketing surveys conducted by CHCE reveal that the primary source for new business is word of mouth referrals from professionals in the industry and friends and family. CredentialedCARE puts all of the provider’s information on the CredentialedCARE Finder site and makes it easily searchable.
Doctors and hospitals have already recommended a home care agency or facility to the patients, why should I use CredentialedCARE Finder?
Doctors and hospitals hear a great deal through their network of health care professionals, but they don’t have the time to investigate the actual background and performance of these providers to whom they refer. They’re simply too busy.
So, while doctors, nurses, their staffs and hospital discharge planners may know of local home care agencies and facilities, they probably haven’t investigated them to find out which is the best one available or the best one for the patient. Doctors and hospital employees may be suggesting a home care agency that is a poor fit when, if the information were available to the patient and their loved ones, they would have chosen another individual or company for these services. is building the largest database of home health care professionals and facilities that are verified, pre-screened and credentialed. For this reason, our “Seal of Distinction” is highly coveted by professionals in the home care industry.
How does CredentialedCARE make money?
CredentialedCARE derives revenue from the fees home care providers and facilities pay. The fees paid by members pay for initial and ongoing computerized verification, screening and credential checks. CredentialedCARE Finder is free for home care consumers.
Care Seeker FAQ
What is home care?
According to the National Association for Home Care and Hospice: “Home care organizations” include home health care agencies, home care aide organization, and hospices. Some of these organizations are Medicare certified, which allows providers to bill Medicare for reimbursement. Agencies that are not Medicare certified cannot be reimbursed through Medicare.”
These professionals and organizations render necessary personal and health care services to people who need companionship and care, but wish to remain independent in their own home or facility rather than a nursing home environment.
What is the difference between a home health care agency and home care aide organization?
A home health care agency is a company that accepts Medicare reimbursement for its skilled health care services in the home. . These services can include skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and other professional services. These organizations may or not provide extensive assistance with personal services such as transportation, meal preparation, and meal preparation.
A home care aide organization, sometimes called a “private duty” organization, does not accept Medicare reimbursement and they do not provide the breadth of skilled services performed by home health care agencies. However, these companies do specialize in providing assistance with activities of daily living and other important personal services such as house cleaning transportation and meal preparation.
However, problems can occur if home care professionals are not properly screened before being accepted in and promoted by an organization. That’s why CredentialedCARE has such a rigorous screening program and only awards its “Seal of Distinction” to the most qualified home care professionals. We want to not only connect prospective clients with a home care provider, we want to make sure that the provider is commited to professionalism and has the highest capabilities.
How do I know whether a home care service or facility is right for my particular situation?
Our Care Needs Wizard walks you through the process of not only finding out if home care is a good choice for you, but also helps you find a home care professional suited to your situation. If it’s time to consider a facility as an option for the patient, the Care Needs Wizard can tell you that too.
What is a “Care Needs Wizard”?”
CredentialedCARE Finder created the Care Needs Wizard to help you easily assess your need for care in the home or if care outside the home should be considered. A few brief questions bring your home care needs into focus.
How much does home care cost?
The cost of home care varies widely depending on the type of service you need and the extent to which you need that service. To get more specific about health care costs for your situation, use the Long Term Care Tutorial and The Care Needs Wizard on the CredentialedCARE Finder site to decide what type of service you need and how care might be paid for. You can then get referrals or post a listing on the Job Board to get quotes from respectable providers. Insurance such as Medicare, Medicaid and long term care insurance can frequently be used to offset out of pocket costs.