Is Cost the Mitigating Factor in Choosing a Home Care Agency?

Lately I’ve talked to quite a few clients for whom the first question out of their mouths is, “How much do you charge?” Because I have learned to be prepared for that question, I tend to gently push back with, “Why does that matter if you don’t even know what services I can provide you with?” 

That pushback usually redirects the conversation back on track so that I can lay out what’s significantly more important than price. 

“What? There’s something more important than price?” I hear you say.

Absolutely!

You see, in the state of Florida, you need to know what you’re buying as far as homecare services go. Florida is one of only four states in the nation that distinguish between homemaker companion services and personal care. For simple ease of reference, personal care includes hands on assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s), while homemaker companion care is completely hands off. 

This means that a homemaker companion service cannot offer personal care—certainly not legally, according to the Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA)—nor assist with any ADL’s. The state requires a registration for a Homemaker Companion Service Agency, but a license for a Home Health Agency (even when it’s non-skilled), and there are more exacting and rigorous requirements to becoming licensed as a Home Health Agency.

It can be a 6-9 month application process (depending on omissions that AHCA may cite you for), and it is more heavily regulated and a lot more expensive to become licensed as a Home Health Agency. For instance, the registration fee to become a Homemaker Companion Service Agency is $50.75 for two years, but for a Home Health Agency that figure is $1,705.00 for two years.

In addition, Home Health Agencies are required to carry liability and malpractice insurance while Homemaker Companion Service Agencies are not. Here are a few other major differences between the two as defined by law and required by AHCA:

Why does all this matter?

Because you get what you pay for. Very few agencies that offer homemaker companion services are also licensed as home health agencies, which means if they provide personal care they risk heavy fines, the loss of their registration as an agency, and worse, the patients health and wellbeing, with no financial recourse for the patient since they don’t have insurance (and even if they did it would be voided by the fact that they provided a service outside the scope of their registration).

Rehoboth Home Care Services (RHC) is a home health agency that’s fully licensed by the state through AHCA, and fully insured. Our caregivers are well trained, background screened and vetted CNA’s (Certified Nursing Assistants), HHA’s (Home Health Aides and HCA’s (Homemaker Companion Aides). So, while me may charge a few dollars more than your average Homemaker Companion Service Agency, you can fully trust that we’re operating well within the boundaries of the law, and with your best interest at heart. So give us a call if you or a loved one needs homemaker companion care or personal care and we’d be delighted to walk you through the process as painlessly as we possibly can. After all, “We’re making Space for You in Your Space.” Call (321)348-3331 ext. 1000 or check us out at www.rehobothhomecare.com.