THE HOME HEALTH UNIT
AN OVERVIEW OF OUR SERVICES
HOME HEALTH SERVICES:
The Home Health Unit at the Department of Public Health regulates the delivery of home health services, with two levels of licensure:
- Home Health Care agencies are licensed to provide services in the home that include professional nursing services, home health aide services, physical therapy services, occupational therapy services, speech therapy services and medical social services. Upon achieving licensure from the Department of Public Health, licensed home health agencies in Connecticut may apply with Accrediting Organizations/AO such as the Joint Commission, CHAP or ACHC to seek certification from Medicare for reimbursement purposes.
- Home Health Aide agencies are licensed to provide solely home health aide services, with the oversight of those services in each agency by a Registered Nurse. Home health aides in both levels of care are qualified individuals who have completed schooling from an aide training program and have successfully completed a Home Health Aide Competency Evaluation offered by a licensed Home Health Care agency or a licensed Home Health Aide agency in Connecticut.
OUTPATIENT HOSPICE SERVICES IN THE HOME:
Currently all applicants must first achieve licensure as a Home Health Care agency prior to seeking the addition of hospice services to the same Home Health Care agency license. Should the regulations change in the future to reflect a separate licensing process for Outpatient Hospice services in the home in Connecticut, this webpage will be updated accordingly.
In Connecticut, Outpatient Hospice services agencies must be licensed by the Connecticut Department of Public Health prior to applying with the Accrediting Organizations for Medicare hospice certification.
INPATIENT HOSPICE:
Inpatient Hospices are free-standing hospices or a dedicated ward/wing of an inpatient facility that must first obtain licensure of the hospice inpatient beds by the Department of Public Health in Connecticut before seeking hospice certification by Medicare through one of the Accrediting Organizations for hospice care reimbursement.
To apply for a Home Health Care agency license, a Home Health Aide agency license OR an Inpatient Hospice license:
Please call 860-509-7444
Or
Email Colleen.Judge@ct.gov
To receive application forms and copies of pertinent Connecticut regulations.
PLEASE NOTE:
The Department of Public Health does not license homemaker-companion agencies. In order to operate a homemaker-companion agency, please contact the Department of Consumer Protection/DCP at 860-713-6000.
The Department of Public Health also conducts Medicare recertification surveys for existing home health and hospice agencies in CT.
Information regarding existing home health and hospice agencies in CT may be obtained by calling the Medicare information hotline number at 1-800-828-9769.
ASSISTED LIVING SERVICES AGENCIES/ALSA:
The Home Health Unit at the Department of Public Health also regulates the operations of Assisted Living Services Agencies/ALSA in CT (specifically, the nursing services delivered within the Assisted Living Facility to certain clients who require and request those nursing services: medication administration, aide assistance with activities of daily living, etc.). The Department of Public Health does not license the physical building/structures of an assisted living facility and has no oversight over the financial aspect of the stay.
However, the assisted living facility where the recipients of ALSA care reside, must be registered as a Managed Residential Community/MRC with the Department of Public Health before the potential ALSA provider may apply for a license to provide ALSA services.
To register an MRC and apply for an ALSA license:
Please call 860-509-7444
Or
Email Nancy.Guzman@ct.gov
To receive application forms and copies of pertinent Connecticut regulations.
COMPLAINTS:
Complaints and concerns regarding Assisted Living Services Agencies, Home Health Care agencies, Home Health Aide agencies and Hospices (inpatient and outpatient) may be
E-MAILED to: https://dphflisevents.ct.gov/Complaints
or
MAILED to:
Department of Public Health
Facility Licensing and Investigations Section
410 Capitol Avenue MS # 12HSR
P.O. Box 340308
Hartford, CT 06134