There are many reasons for families to hire caregivers through a qualified home care agency as opposed to a registry or independent contractor. But what about the benefits for care facilities, discharge planners, and others who refer patients in need of home care?
When making referrals for private pay home care services, there are potential consequences when referring to a healthcare registry or independent contractor. It can impact your patients and your facility’s Medicare Home Health Compare rating. The following are some reasons a home care agency, like Heaven at Home, may be the right referral choice for you:
Full Service Home Care Agency
- Screens and employs caregivers
- Monitors and supervises care
- Ensures shifts are covered
- Covers government-mandated taxes and worker’s compensation for their employees
- Takes care of accounting and bookwork
Nurse Registry/Healthcare Registry
- Acts as “matchmaker” service, assigning workers to clients and patients who request home care
- Transfers the responsibilities of managing and supervising the worker to the patient, a family member, or a family advisor or care manager
- Transfers the responsibility for government-mandated taxes and worker’s compensation coverage to the consumer
- Unmonitored, unsupervised care means a greater chance that care providers can exert undue influence on a frail person for personal financial gain, or the possibility of emotional or physical abuse
Independent Contractor
When a caregiver is hired privately as an independent contractor, the same risks associated with a nurse registry or healthcare registry are present:
- Care is unmonitored and unsupervised
- Government-mandated taxes and worker’s compensation coverage fall on the consumer
- No back-up care is provided in case of caregiver illness or vacation
Working with a full service home care agency helps improve patient outcomes and reduces the risk of unnecessary hospitalizations. Let Heaven at Home provide better care for your patients. Contact us today to learn more about our full suite of home care services.