Group Sets Voluntary Standards for Home Elder Care (USA)

By Michael Morton/Daily News staff


The MetroWest Daily News


Jul 14, 2010


As children and grandchildren increasingly seek aides to look after elderly loved ones at home, a state trade association is rolling out new, voluntary standards for members providing those services.


The dues-based association, the Boston nonprofit Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts, says the new program will help residents find quality care for both elderly family members and relatives with disabilities.


"If I'm going to give care of a loved one over to someone else, I have to have absolute trust in that entity," said Pat Kelleher, the alliance's executive director. Her group has more than 170 members statewide, with a sizable portion in MetroWest.


Locally, the population of residents 75 and older was measured at nearly 26,000 in the 2000 Census, but that number is expected to grow to more than 40,000 by 2030, according to data from the MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation.


The foundation has formed a commission to study how senior citizens can stay in their homes while remaining safe and healthy. There are at least 650,000 residents taking care of loved ones in Massachusetts, according to the National Family Caregivers Association.


While 70 percent of Home Care Alliance member business comes from state and federal programs supporting both long- and short-term care, the remainder comes from relatives looking to fill coverage gaps themselves because of limited program benefits and insurance restrictions.


Given the aging population, privately funded care is the fastest growing part of members' business, Kelleher said, but it has not been as closely regulated as the services funded by public programs.


"It's sort of an emerging marketplace in general," she said. "There are so many folks trying to figure this home care thing out."


That led the alliance to consult with members as well as look at state and federal regulations and guidelines for national home care franchises.


The new standards cover areas such as recognizing and reporting elder abuse, ensuring services and costs are clear to customers up-front, and establishing procedures for clients to report problems with aides. Home care agencies already have to pass suspicions of abuse, neglect or theft by their employees to the state.


The standards are voluntary, but they will earn agencies a special certification, which the organizations can then tout in promotional materials. Certifications will also be posted on the alliance website, thinkhomecare.org. Certification is free for members and $400 for outside agencies.


Larry Levine, co-owner of Home Care Assistance in Wellesley, helped develop the standards and said he looks forward to implementing them.


"The peace of mind of our patients and their family members is necessary to our work," he said.


Copyright 2010 The MetroWest Daily News.

SOURCE:    MetroWestDailyNews
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