LEGAL NOTICE
DOCKET 11-700
HOME CARE AGENCIES SHALL APPLY FOR LICENSURE BY THE STATE
Beginning August 10, 2018, the Hawai’i Department of Health will require all Home Care Agencies to apply for licensure by the state. Home Care Agencies provide personal care, homemaker assistance, or respite care for seniors and others to maintain their personal lifestyle in their own home and avoid requiring care in a more expensive residential facility.
Home Care Agency means a public or proprietary agency, a private, nonprofit organization, or a subdivision of an agency or organization, engaged in providing home care services to clients in their residence. The term Home Care Agency does not apply to an individual, including an individual who is incorporated as a business or is a volunteer.
Home care services may include: (1) Personal care, including assistance with dressing, feeding, and personal hygiene to facilitate self-care; (2) Homemaker assistance, including housekeeping, shopping, meal planning and preparation; and (3) Respite care and assistance and support provided to the family.
TO APPLY FOR A LICENSE
Instructions are available at: health.hawaii.gov/ohca/state-licensing-section/hcal/. All licensed Home Care Agencies are subject to unannounced inspections to ensure safe levels of care in the recipient’s home.
Under the new state rules, all Home Care Agencies must apply for their state license beginning August 10, 2018 and may continue to operate during the license application process. The Department may begin to take enforcement action against any agency which does not apply for a license by November 10, 2018. Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 321, Section 14.8 established the authority of the Department to license Home Care Agencies and issue and enforce administrative rules.
List of licensed Home Care Agencies to be posted on the DOH website.
While it may take several weeks to process license applications, the list of licensed agencies will be available at: http://health.hawaii.gov/ohca/state-licensing-section/hcal/agencies. The public is also encouraged to report any unlicensed Home Care Agency by going to http://health.hawaii.gov/ohca/files/2018/07/HCA-Complaint-Form-072018.pdf to download a complaint form. Completed forms may be submitted to the address or email on the form. Public complaints about home care services are investigated by the state.
More information on state regulations for Home Care Agencies is available at the Office of Health Care Assurance website at http://health.hawaii.gov/ohca/state-licensing-section/hcal/. The Office of Health Care Assurance performs all state licensing activities on healthcare facilities, agencies and organizations in Hawaii. This includes conducting all on-site state licensing surveys or inspections and Medicare certification surveys or inspections on behalf of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Bruce S. Anderson, Ph.D.
Director of Health
State of Hawaii
(SA1126419 8/26/18)
