Protecting Consumers from the Pitfalls of Home Care

This article examines the growing number of Americans who are turning to home care as an alternative to nursing homes and institutionalized care. As more and more Americans seek in-home care, the chances for abuse and fraud increase. It is important for consumers to be informed about the various types of home care and the legal and physical responsibilities for the patient that go along with each. There are financial and legal ramifications that could result when hiring a home care worker from a registry. The alternative to registry home care workers is to hire an individual through a home care agency that employs and takes responsibility for their workers. This article provides the key differences between the types of home care and includes checklists and tables to assist the consumer in understanding the private-duty arena.