By: Aaron Perl
Many times in my career in private duty homecare I have been asked by potential clients and families what is the difference between a nurse registry vs. a licensed private in-home care company.
Nurse registries consists of a group of contractors that work independently. The caregivers are not supervised by a nurse leaving care unpredictable. Should an issue ever arise the client has no opportunity to discuss the issue with a licensed nurse and the client is left vulnerable.
A nurse registry defined in 400.462 Florida Statutes, offers health-care-related CONTRACTS to certified nursing assistants, home health aides, companions or homemakers who are paid by fees as independent contractors. 59A-18.010, F.A.C. (G 180).
A licensed private in-home care agency such as Homewatch CareGivers is defined as an agency that is licensed by the state under the Agency of Healthcare Administration. Caregivers are W-2 employees that work directly for the agency. All caregivers are supervised under a nurse, and a plan of care is generated by a nurse to meet the needs of the client. Should a client need additional assistance or information a nurse is available to speak with 24/7. The benefits of having a licensed agency is the ability for the client to have an interdisciplinary team working together to form the right plan of care that meet their needs, with all caregivers supervised by a nurse.
The chart below lists additional benefits of choosing a licensed agency over a nurse registry:
Licensed Private In-Home Care Company | Nurse Registry |
Accredited by either ACHC, CHAP or Joint Commission. Partners is accredited by ACHC. | No accreditation by State. |
Liability and malpractice insurance is required. | Nurse Registries only employee independent contractors. |
Supervisory visits may be performed by a nurse. | No supervision by a nurse. |
Nurse on call during/after hours for all clients. | No nurse supervision. |
Caregivers training required on Alzheimer's disease and other disorders related to dementia. | No training required. |
Changes in the client's behavior are reported to the agency and nurse responds immediately. | Changes in client's behavior are not reported to the nurse registry. Communication is only between client and caregiver |
References
Charpentier, H 2015, August 2014, Certified Senior Adviser, Nurse registry vs. home health agency, https://www.partnersinch.com/nurse-registry-vs-home-health-agency/
2011 Florida Statues 400.462,
https://www.flsenate.gov/laws/statues/2011/400.462
2020 AHCA website, https://ahca.myflorida.com/
