New home care licensing law goes into effect Jan. 1

FALLBROOK – Are you a homecare company or person who hires caregivers or personal attendants to assist you in your home? Pay attention as the law is changing on Jan. 1, 2016. If agencies choose to ignore this new law, the fines are hefty for non- compliance.

Assembly Bill 1217 passed and signed into law in 2013 goes into effect Jan. 1, 2016. This bill established the Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act, which promotes consumer protection for elderly and disabled individuals who hire private aides to come into their homes and provide assistance with activities of daily living.

Commencing on Jan. 1, 2016, the CA Department of Social Services will regulate all home care organizations and require background checks of affiliated home care aides and independent home care aides who do not work for an agency.

So, what does this mean to the person who is planning to hire a home care aide/personal attendant (or caregiver) after Jan. 1? It means that any home care agency one calls, in order to hire a caregiver, must be licensed. All of their caregiver employees must be registered with the Department of Social Services and will have passed a criminal background check. Independent home care aides that one may consider hiring must also be registered with the state. Consumers will be able to look up the person's or agency's registration number and verify their status online.

Home care organizations will be required to provide ongoing training on safety, first aid, CPR, and emergency procedures to their caregivers every year.

Innovative Healthcare Consultants is a proponent of the licensing of home care organizations and believes this protection is a valuable resource for people that need to employ a caregiver in the home.

After Jan. 1, 2016, any person looking for a caregiver should make sure the company they hire is licensed or has applied for a license. The Department of Social Services may impose a fine of up to $900 per violation per day for any agency operating without being licensed. A Home Care Agency cannot employ caregivers as independent contractors. It must be an employer/employee relationship.

Remember that for peace of mind and for the protection of the person with a caregiver, hire only agencies that are licensed through the state and hire only caregivers that are registered with the state. Innovative Healthcare Consultants will be in compliance on Jan. 1, along with its caregivers, ready to provide the help people need. Call (760) 731-1334 or visit www.innovativehc.com.