Connecticut Chapter Issues Report on Transition of Home Care Industry

The HCAOA Connecticut Chapter recently issued a report with recommendations to the state as it begins the process of transitioning registration and oversight of the home care industry from the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) to the Department of Public Health (DPH).

The Chapter’s transition plan advisory committee, led by Susan Oderwald, Always Best Care in Milford, was comprised of a broad cross-section of Chapter members and included a number of home care agency owners, from small to large to independently owned to franchise owned and Medicaid to private pay.

In its report, the committee included a number of findings and recommendations, including:

• Reminding and assisting clients with taking pre-poured or pre-packaged medications that have been packaged by a pharmacy and left by the supervising family member or attending nurse are essential and helpful tasks.
• Agencies should not be prohibited from discussing their services in the context of medical diagnoses with caregivers, clients, and the general public, so long as it is explicit that the activities provided are solely non-medical. Failure to do so is confusing to both caregivers and clients alike, does not protect consumers, and compromises safety in the home.

“Committee members worked diligently and collaboratively in a very professional manner to build consensus with the goal of developing a strong work product with meaningful recommendations that I think will carry a great deal of weight with policymakers,” Oderwald said. “I am very proud of the work we did.”

The Office of Policy and Management (OPM) is required, in consultation with the DCP and DPH commissioners, to develop a plan to transfer homemaker-companion agency registration and oversight responsibilities from DCP to DPH and report on the plan to the legislature by Dec. 1, 2024. HCAOA Connecticut plans to participate in stakeholder meetings with OPM to serve as a resource and advise on the transition.