In what types of credentialing activities do home care agencies participate?
Home care agencies participate in (1) state licensure, which addresses minimal standards for staffing, policies, and procedures of the agency; (2) Medicare certification including surveys of the charts, policies, procedures, billing practices, qualification of care providers, and administrative structures of the agency; and (3) voluntary accreditation through the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) or the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP).
