Home Care now a Licensed Industry

 When an aging loved one needs a helping hand to remain at home safely, a private duty, non-medical caregiver is often times the solution.  With the quickly growing aging population, Home Care agencies began springing up on almost every corner. The scary thing for our seniors, is there was no oversight in the Home Care Industry.  Anyone could put a shingle on the door and call themselves a Home Care company.  Fortunately, that has now changed.  As a result of the passing of the Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act, any company providing Private Duty Home Care in the state of California must be licensed through the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). As of July 1, 2016, any agency that has not been issued a license cannot provide services.  We are now referred to as a Home Care Organization (HCO), must have our license publicly displayed at our place of business, and have available to our clients, and anyone who inquires, our license number.  Following is an excerpt from the CDSS website:
“California law established the Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act which, as of January 2016, requires Home Care Organizations to be licensed and creates a public online registry for Home Care Aides who have been background checked. This law is intended to promote consumer protection for elderly and disabled individuals who hire private aides to come into their homes and provide assistance with activities of daily living.
Currently implementation of this law is underway in the newly formed Home Care Services Bureau which will oversee the licensing and oversight of the Home Care Organizations, the application process for the Home Care Aides, and the maintenance of the Registry. The Caregiver Background Check Bureau will oversee the criminal background checks.”
Comfort Keepers In-Home Care, except for the newly formed Home Care Aid Registry, had already met or exceeded the new licensure requirements. However, this new law will now eliminate companies that had put seniors and their families at risk by not performing background checks, not classifying their caregivers as W-2 employees with proper Worker’s Comp and other insurances, not following Wage and Hour Laws, properly train and supervise their caregivers, etc.
If you suspect a Home Care Company of operating without a license, please contact the Home Care Services Bureau at (916) 657-3570
Myles McNamara, owner of Comfort Keepers In-Home Care, is a Certified Senior Adviser and can be reached at 661-287-4200.