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State does not keep list of companion firms

5/2/2011 9:59:36 AM by Administrator Account

Home Care by David DiFilippo

Q: I'm not finding a lot of listings for companion care companies in the Yellow Pages. Is there a list provided by the state that I can access? - Emma Lawrence, Barrington

    A: There is no state organization or department that will list every companion company. Most companion companies do not provide hands-on care so they are not required to be certified by the Department of Health or regulated by the state.
   Q: My father is a Medicaid recipient. He needs ongoing medical care and is hoping to get coverage for a home health aide. but we were told he needs to go through an eligibility test first? What determines if he's eligible? ~ Ann Marrapese, Westerly
   A: The state has an assessment team to determine if your father's condition would be best treated at home or in a 24-hour setting such as a nursing home. Eligibility generally rests on the number of activities of daily living that a person needs help with and the acuity of his or her medical condition. If your father needs help with less than three activities of daily living such as dressing, bathing or medication management - he would likely be able to access home care services through Medicaid.
   Q: My mother is moving into an independent living community for seniors. Can she receive home care services there? ~ Barbara Auclair, East Providence
   A: Yes. She can receive any of the home- and community-based services in a senior independent living community that she would be able to receive if she were living in her own home.

   David DiFilippo is the owner of Concord Home Health Services, which specializes in in-home personal assistance such as errands and medication management, as well as skilled nursing services and rehabilitation. Submit questions to kparkcompass@trmcomm.com.

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