Home Health Aides: Why Hire from an Agency?

The first of a three part series in the NY Times concerning home health care aides and agencies, which consists of an interview with the head of Partners in Care, an affiliate of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York that is run by Marki Flannery.

An excerpt :

Part of the answer lies in understanding that there are for-profit home health care agencies and not-for-profit agencies. The biggest difference between those two types of organizations is how they make business decisions. For-profit companies often select the kind of cases that will make them the most money and turn away other cases. Or, they don’t employ certified home health aides at all. Their people are not trained to do the same things for you as are certified aides. A not-for-profit agency doesn’t turn away cases.

...It is also important to learn about the full set of resources that a home health care agency can offer you because health care situations can change overnight.

...So, if your elderly mom’s condition worsens and care is needed that will be covered by Medicare, we coordinate that care so your mom gets the medical attention she needs and Medicare covers the cost. Or, if your mom needed care that was initially covered by Medicare but now her condition has improved and Medicare will no longer pay, you can transition your mom to care you pay for privately while keeping the same home health aide.