How to compare home care providers

Write down the parts of the day that feel hardest, what the person can do independently, and where another person’s support would make the biggest difference.

That list can help you distinguish between personal care, companionship, respite, and home health conversations.

Ask whether the provider can cover the days and times you need, whether there is a minimum visit, and what happens if a caregiver is unavailable.

If you are comparing a short-term need with an ongoing schedule, ask for both arrangements separately.

Ask for the current rate, billing rhythm, cancellation rules, and any additional charges. Ask what tasks are included and which requests would require a different service or provider.

Finally, ask who will be your point of contact and how questions or changes are handled once services begin.

In New York, agencies that provide home care aides are licensed by the State Department of Health, as a Licensed Home Care Services Agency (LHCSA) or a Certified Home Health Agency (CHHA). Ask which license the agency holds. Only Medicare-certified agencies can provide Medicare-covered home health care, and Medicare’s Care Compare tool lists them.

Aides who work for New York home care agencies go through a fingerprint-based criminal history check and are listed on the state’s Home Care Registry. Personal care aides complete at least 40 hours of state-approved training, and home health aides at least 75 hours. Ask what training the caregivers assigned to you have completed.

Ask whether caregivers are employees of the agency, and whether the agency carries liability insurance and workers’ compensation. If caregivers are independent contractors or found through a registry, ask who is responsible for taxes, insurance, and finding a replacement.