Connecticut Home Care Task Force Submits Final Report to Legislature, Bill Introduced to Implement Recommendations

​Last week, the Homemaker Companion Task Force unanimously approved its final report and transmitted it to the Aging and General Law committees of the Connecticut General Assembly.
 
This week, the Aging Committee voted to introduce a bill to implement the recommendations in the report. The report will be considered by the legislature and any legislation implementing its recommendations will be subject to public hearing, debate, and approval.
 

Mark McGoldrick

The Task Force dedicated the report to the memory of HCAOA Connecticut Chapter chairman Mark McGoldrick, who served as co-chairman of the Task Force until he died unexpectedly shortly before Christmas.
 
The Task Force recommended several policy changes, including in order of priority:

• transition oversight and regulation of HCAs from the Department of Consumer Protection to the Department of Public Health (DPH),
• provide sufficient resources for the current system,
• and adopt stricter registration criteria and requirements.

 
In testimony to the Homemaker Companion Task Force, DPH officials said the agency currently licenses 2,000 facilities and they incurred a 48% reduction in staff in 2022 due to early retirements. DPH would need to get its program fully staffed before it could take on licensing all HCAs, which would double its caseload and require a new team of individuals to administer.
 
Examples of proposed registration changes recommended by the Task Force would include ensuring HCAs are performing required background checks by requiring signed affidavits upon initial application or renewal and studying whether time-in/time-out tracking would be appropriate. Other recommendations were made in the areas of complaint resolution, including requiring revocation of certification in certain instances, training and recruitment of caregivers, and advertising.
 
The HCAOA Connecticut Chapter is hosting a webinar about the report featuring the Task Force chairman on March 1, 2023. Register today to attend.
 
Thank you to Task Force and HCAOA members—Maria Cerino, Owner of Seniors Helping Seniors in Mystic, and Michael Savoie, Director of Business Development for Executive Home Care in Stratford—for all their work on the Task Force and support of the home care industry!

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