HOMEMAKER AND COMPANION AGENCIES OUT OF CONTROL

Homemaker and Companion agencies in our state are registered.  They are NOT licensed and a registry means nothing more than that, registered.  The requirements are minimal.  My experience is that many agencies are working completely out of what the intention; which is to provide non-medical assistance with a homemaker or companion that assists someone with dressing, cooking, shopping, bathing, housekeeping.  Nothing should touch their advertisements or publicity that is indicating that they or their staff, (sometimes not staff but 1099 labor) should implicate that they have medical management in any way involved with their agency. This  is directly from the website regarding the law in our state.

"...any public or private organization, employing one or more persons that is engaged in the business of providing companion services or homemaker services.  Homemaker-companion agency shall not include a home health care agency, as defined in subsection (d) of section 19a-490 of the general statutes, or a homemaker-home health aide agency, as defined in subsection (e) of section 19a-490 of the general statutes."

Fast forward to the age of recognizing that our elderly is a huge revenue source for these agencies.  Now what you see is the following: I have taken these directly off of public websites.

"HomeCare Services of Connecticut is licensed by the State of Connecticut as a home care services firm and is the direct employer of all its personnel. As such, we assume full responsibility for all employee-related withholding taxes and insurance, such as unemployment, disability and workers compensation."

They are NOT licensed they are registered and they are NOT home care services, clearly home care services are defined in the statutes.

Here is another from our state:

"Nursing Services: check vital signs, manage medications, professional assessment, supervise colostomy care, emotional support and counseling, nursing assessment for long term care insurance."

All of which are skirting the issue that they are NOT skilled nursing nor should they be providing any "nursing" at all under a homemakers and companion registry.

This is just a small example of what some agencies are doing because they are not regulated. Our system has them register. Our system never realized that this would be a problem. Registration does not evaluate the services but only states what they have to do to be registered; which is provide a contract with their clients, provide background checks of their employees and pay a fee to the state; that is basically it to be registered. Instead many are pulling in services that need to be "licensed" by the health department.

Here is the link to registration that clarifies: 

Homemaker and Companion Registry

Harmful? Yes. How I even got involved with recognizing the problems;that have escalated ten fold in the last few years, is that I get called with the problems that are created by some of these agencies.  I will write an article at another time about the stories I have regarding the care that is provided or lack of by some of these agencies.

What should we do? First of all report them to the Department of Consumer Protection in our state.  They will investigate. Second is that I believe the term nurse should not be used at all in any agency that is registered as a homemaker and companion agency. It  doesn't matter if they say their nurses are "only" supervising the aides. You don't need a nurse to supervise homemakers and companions who don't provide any sort of clinical or medical management of clients. 

Nurse is a protected term. Therefore the use of nurse implicates to the public regardless of whether the agency denies providing nursing care of any kind; that they in deed are of a higher quality agency. THEY are NOT. The level of care is clearly stated in the state regulations.  Nothing more can be provided.  Does it mean that these agencies have better aides or homemakers or companions? NO it doesn't.

The agency that has just entered into our state with the name "Nurse Next Door" does not provide nursing in Connecticut. They are a homemakers and companion agency. Would anyone know that??

So consumer beware!! Most people are in a crisis when looking for help at home for their loved ones.  Searching for "homecare" isn't giving you the true picture. I even challenge whether any of these agencies can even use the term "homecare" That term is being investigated by the department as it should be homemaker agency.

There are lots of agencies out there that do it right according to the laws in our state. Be sure that they are not managing medications or providing any "nurse" an their agency. If the agency is using medical terms at all beware.  There shouldn't be reference to anything medical. It is illegal. It's that simple. These agencies that in our state have a registry number that starts with HCA is not a license.  Be careful who you bring into your home.  After the fact is  often too late.

If you need to report anything here is the website to report it to.

Department of Consumers- Connecticut

And to check on the status of the agency that you are using you can check them out on the licensing department's website.

Ct. Licensing Look Up