Concord Home Care

Concord Home Health Services: A full service provider, Jewish Herald 1/6/2012

kpark — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:48:09 +0000

Concord Home Health Services, established in 1997, offers a wide array of comprehensive services for homebound clients, said Gwen Kania, vice president/chief operating officer, in a phone interview. The for-profit company primarily serves geriatric individuals throughout Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts. The company, organized as a LLC, employs some 250 people – including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, physical and occupational therapists, speech therapists, social workers, certified nursing assistants and companions.

One part of the business, Concord Visiting Nurses, offers skilled nursing care to its clients so that they may remain at home.

Kania said that those services are accredited by the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP), a national accrediting entity.

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January 2012 Senior Digest Q and A

kpark — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:44:29 +0000

Q: Is home care necessitated by an injury on the job covered by workers’ compensation? ~ S. Smith, Pawtucket

A: Yes, you should be able to access nursing services at home with workers’ compensation if you have a qualifying condition.

December Senior Digest Q and A

kpark — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 14:25:36 +0000

Q: What’s the difference between private duty care and ordinary home health care? ~ Melissa M., Hope

A: When private pay or private insurance pays for care, service and support for an individual in their home, it is considered private duty home health care. Non-private home health care is for Medicare or Medicaid patients who need intermittent skilled care for a limited period of time. That type of care is reimbursable by the government if the individual is homebound and qualifies for the skilled home health benefit.

November Senior Digest Q and A

kpark — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 14:20:26 +0000

Q: I’d like to visit my sister’s family for the holidays, but she lives in another state and I’m hesitating because I’m responsible for caring for my 90-year old mother. I’ve heard about respite care in assisted living facilities, but she won’t want to be away from her home. Other than Christmas Eve and Christmas Day when my brother will be with her, she would have no one to care for her if I weren’t around. A friend told me that I might be able to get respite care at home. Is that true? ~ Samantha M., Cranston

October 2011 Senior Digest Q and A

kpark — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:44:18 +0000

Q: What is the going rate for home care these days?

S. Smythe, Barrington

A: The price you pay for skilled nursing care at home varies depending on the services delivered, but generally, expect to pay around $50 for a home health aide visit, between $80-$125 for a skilled nursing visit, and potentially more for physical, occupational and speech therapy, depending on the condition being treated. Keep in mind, these services may be covered by your insurer or Medicare for eligible participants.

September 2011 Senior Digest Q and A

kpark — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 16:32:17 +0000

Q. I’m told all home nursing care agencies issue customer satisfaction surveys. Where can I access the results of these surveys so I can compare the results among different home care companies?

K. Peters, Cumberland

A: Any agency that is certified by Medicare is required to issue satisfaction surveys. However, survey results are not currently publicly posted, though the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) has plans to begin posting them publicly beginning in 2012. Until that time, you can ask the agencies that you are interested in if they are willing to share their survey results with you.

August 2011 Senior Digest Q and A by David DiFilippo

kpark — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:19:11 +0000

Q: What accreditation should I look for when hiring a home care company? K. Smith, Newport

A: The Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP) and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) are two credible accreditations for home care companies. In order to achieve accreditation from either organization, agencies must comply with several quality standards aimed at improving health care for the public.

July 2011 Senior Digest Q and A

kpark — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 16:53:21 +0000

Q: My grandmother takes seven different medications and lately we’ve noticed that she’s been missing doses. Any tips for preventing this? ~ G. Harrington, Bristol

A: That is very common amongst our senior population. Whenever possible, you should accompany your grandmother to her doctor visits to confirm understanding of the medication regimen and possible side effects. That will allow you to follow up with both her understanding and adherence to the medication schedule. However, dementia or other factors often make it necessary for someone to administer the daily medications to ensure they are taken as prescribed. Such responsibility can be challenging for many family members due to the times and frequency of the medications prescribed. Certain home care agencies have programs available that will provide nursing visits to administer medications in addition to communicating with the patient’s physician, ensuring accuracy in dosage, frequency and desired results.

June 2011 Senior Digest Q and A’s by David DiFilippo

kpark — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 20:38:44 +0000

Q: My mother recently became very ill because her home health aide mixed up her medications. The agency is telling me they are not liable for this. Is that true? And, is there a place to report them so this doesn’t happen to someone else?

Paula Wilson, North Kingstown

A: First of all, a home health aide is not licensed to administer medications. Only a nurse can administer medications in the home. Home health aides can only remind patients to take their medication from a medication reminder box.

That said, the Department of Health agency licensure rules require agencies to maintain liability insurance for their nurses. Therefore, if the agency’s nurse administered the medication incorrectly, some coverage should be available.

To answer the second part of your question, the Alliance for Better Long Term Care is the consumer advocate for long term care issues. Start by reporting your grievance to them at:

422 Post Road, Warwick, RI, 02888 or (401) 785-3340.

Q: My mother is in a rehabilitation facility for post acute care following a hip replacement. The facility also has a home care company affiliated with it. They’re recommending that we use their agency. Any advice?

A: First of all, it’s illegal for a discharge planner to recommend only one option to Medicare patients. Ultimately what matters most is the quality of care the agency provides so you should explore several options.

If you have friends or family members that have used home care services, ask them for references as well as your physician, and go to www.medicare.gov/homehealthcompare where you’ll be able to compare agencies in your area rated by how they do on quality assessment criteria. Then call a select few directly to find out more about their services.

Petra Wilkinson, East Providence

May 2011 Senior Digest Q and A by David DiFilippo

kpark — Tue, 03 May 2011 16:40:25 +0000

Q: I’m not finding a lot of listings for companion care companies in the Yellow Pages. Is there a list provided by the state that I can access? – E. Lawrence, Barrington

A: There is no state organization or department that will list every companion company. Most companion companies do not provide hands-on care so they are not required to be certified by the Department of Health or regulated by the state.
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