When Jersey City-based Visiting Homemaker Service of Hudson County (VHSHC) celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this month, they acknowledged the work they have done since 1959 in providing home health care services to over 100,000 Hudson County residents.
The Nov. 5 event at St. Peter’s College allowed attendees to partake of chocolates and champagne and watch a visual presentation on VHSHC tending to the needs of the elderly and disabled, including housekeeping, companionship, and nursing.
VHSHC in the past year provided 2,205 elderly, disabled and in need with 503,973 hours of care, which breaks down to approximately 229 hours of care per person.
“This is actually a labor of love, and our staff is very, very caring,” said John Buck, executive director of Visiting Homemaker Service. “They know the folks they care for, and those folks appreciate that.”
“They know the folks they care for, and those folks appreciate that.” – John Buck
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Their funding comes in part by grants from various sources including municipalities such as Jersey City and North Bergen as well as the state. Also, in the case of most VHS clients, their care is covered by Medicare or Medicaid, depending on their situation while some pay out-of-pocket, depending on their income status.
However, a majority of the homecare agencies are for-profit, with some accepting Medicaid.
The event also cast a spotlight on the work of home health aides in general. Along with VHSHC, there are over 40 firms operating with accreditation in Hudson County that provide a similar kind of service. In New Jersey, there are currently over 700 in operation.
The industry is also a growing one in the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with the number of home health aides increasing by 49 percent from 787,000 in 2006 to a projected 1,171,000 by 2016. Unfortunately, the Bureau of Labor Statistics also notes that it is a low-paying position, with an average yearly salary of $21,440 in 2008.
But how do you determine which home health care firm should take care of your loved ones?
An aid on home health care
According to New Jersey law, a home health aide is a person who is employed by a home care services agency. Under the supervision of a registered professional nurse, an aide follows a delegated nursing regimen or performs tasks which are delegated consistent with state standards.
Home health aide agencies in New Jersey have to be accredited by the non-profit Commission on Accreditation for Home Care (CAHC) located in New Providence, N.J., or, in the case of Visiting Homemaker Service of Hudson County, through the National Association for Home Care and Hospice in Washington, D.C.
CAHC also provides a list of accredited agencies on their website (www.cahcnj.org).
The agencies are judged by aides whom they employ, who must have the following qualifications in the state of New Jersey:
• Homemakers/home health aides are certified by the New Jersey Board of Nursing after successfully completing a required 76-hour training program, a competency evaluation, and a criminal history background check.
• The agencies’ curriculum, the training faculty, and the training facility must be reviewed and approved by the Nursing Board.
• After the aide completes the training program, the agency or school submits the certification information along with the list of eligible applicants to the board for approval.
• The submitting agency or school will be notified of the approval or disapproval of the homemaker/health aide within three to five business days.
• A copy of the eligibility list must be retained by the agency or school, and will serve as proof of authorization for the certified homemaker-home health aide to be employed conditionally until the criminal history background check has been satisfied, and the applicant is cleared to receive his or her certificate.
• The homemaker-home health aide may be assigned to patient care after the submitting agency has been notified of the certified homemaker-home health aide’s approval.
• A New Jersey registered professional nurse must supervise the certified homemaker-home health aide and the program of care delivered.
Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com.