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LINKS AND RESOURCES ABOUT NEW JERSEY HOME CARE
This page includes many links to resources to help you learn more about New Jersey home care. We have written descriptions of each link to help guide your research efforts.
We have also asked the members of the CAHC team to discuss some of the top issues and concerns that families should address when choosing a home care agency. To read their insights and advice are based on many decades of collective experience in the field, Click Here.
Learn about and apply for New Jersey programs and benefits
Division of Consumer Affairs
The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs protects the public from fraud, deceit and misrepresentation in the sale of goods and services.
Department of Health and Senior Services
New Jersey EASE (New Jersey Easy Access, Single Entry)
Phone: 877-222-3737
NJ EASE (New Jersey Easy Access, Single Entry) is the easy way for seniors and their families to get information about and to access senior services. NJ EASE is one toll-free telephone number to put you in touch with someone to help you learn about and apply for important programs and benefits.
Division of Disability Services
Phone: 888-285-3036
The Division of Disability Services (DDS) focuses on serving adults with a disability, whether through illness or injury. Such conditions are also called late-onset disabilities. DDS publishes New Jersey Resources 2009, the most comprehensive guide available about services across New Jersey for people with disabilities.
Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services
Phone: 800-633-4227
A comprehensive resource for Medicare information.
Area Agencies on Aging
(Call the one for the county in which the Service is required):
or call CAHC at 908-508-1200 for the appropriate phone number
An Area Agency on Aging (AAA) is designated in each of New Jersey's 21 counties to serve as the primary entity responsible for developing comprehensive, coordinated systems of community-based services for older adults.
A Guide to Community Based Long Term Care in New Jersey
The bible for services, programs, and information sources related to community-based care in New Jersey. Published by the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services, the section on Home Care (pages 85-92) covers the differences between licensed and unlicensed agencies, descriptions of services, sources of funding including special programs, and a checklist on how to choose and monitor a home health agency and its staff (Page 197)
A Consumer’s Guide to Homemaker-Home Health Aides
This publication is produced by the New Jersey Board of Nursing, which is responsible for regulation of homemaker-home health aides. It covers the role, services, and responsibilities of certified home health aides and includes an extensive list of resources for additional information.
Consumer Tips: NJ Division of Consumer Affairs
This page, found on the official Certified Homemaker-Home Health Aides website, offers a basic overview on a number of issues related to certified home health aides.
This two-page brief provides a handy overview of the major elements in choosing and monitoring a home health agency and its workers.
Medicare and Home Health Care
This is the official U.S. government booklet about Medicare home health care benefits for people with Original Medicare. This booklet has important information about the following: Who is eligible? What services are covered? How to find and compare home health agencies? What are your Medicare rights?
Even if you are not qualified to receive Medicare home health care, you may want to review the checklist on Page 17 for good tips on what to look for in an agency. Click Here for print version of the Checklist.
Home Health Compare
This tool, on the Medicare.gov website, has detailed information about every Medicare-certified home health agency in the country. It allows you to compare specific agencies against a variety of processes and outcomes of care.
AARP: Choosing an Agency for In-Home Care (video)
This informative video encourages families to become aware, empowered consumers when it comes to choosing a home care agency for their aging parents.
Home Care Services: Questions to Ask
From the Mayo Clinic, this article addresses both the general and specific issues that need to be considered in making the right choice for your specific home care situation.
Who Pays for Home Care? National Clearing House for Long Term Care Information
Provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services, this website offers good general information on home care costs and payment sources and also includes state-specific hourly rates for home health aides.
How to Background Check Your HomeCare Provider
From the Inside Eldercare blog, this article is a good reminder that not all background checks are equal. It offers a list of tough questions you should be asking prospective agencies about how they screen and monitor their employees.
Filing A Complaint
Complaints against certified home health agencies (those accepting Medicare/Medicaid) should be filed with the Department of Health and Senior Services. Complete information is available here.
Complaints against home care agencies should be filed with the Division of Consumer Affairs. Use this form (check off Health Care Service Firm) or call 973-504-6370.
Complaints against specific nurses or homemaker-home health aides should be filed with the New Jersey Board of Nursing. Use this form or call: (973) 504-6430.
Reporting Abuse - Adult Protective Services
Adult Protective Services (APS) is a program that helps state residents, aged 18 or older, who lack the capacity to understand their circumstances and cannot protect themselves. APS investigates all complaints of suspected abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation. To find the Adult Protective Services Provider in your county, Click Here: The National Center on Elder Abuse also provides information and assistance on its website.
The Sandwich Generation - Dealing With Elderly Parents
"Seven Ways to Talk to Your Parents About Getting Help at Home" - from the Inside Eldercare blog, this article offers practical suggestions on speaking productively, calmly, and respectfully to parents who may not want or realize they need help at home.
Eldercare Locator
The Eldercare Locator, a nationwide service funded by the U.S. Administration on Aging that links older consumers and their families to local aging services, produced this guide to help families “face the facts” about these important topics. The overview addresses some key areas of concern, suggested questions to ask, and ways in which families might initiate conversations about these difficult to discuss topics with their aging parents.
Support for New Jersey Family Caregivers - Caregiver NJ
This is your one-stop source for comprehensive information on family caregiving in New Jersey. It includes educational materials, information on public and private programs, support networks for caregivers, etc.
Family Caregiver Alliance – New Jersey
The Family Caregiver Alliance is a national organization providing educational, support and advocacy services for family caregivers. This page provides New Jersey-specific information on services available to family caregivers.
