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NEWARK
- The Division of Consumer Affairs and Viaquest
Home Health L.L.C. of Toms River have entered
into a Consent Order that concludes an investigation
into the company’s business practices.
Viaquest
Home Health, which does business as At Home
Senior Care, employs and assigns individuals
to provide health care or personal care services
in the home. The settlement with Viaquest
Home Health is the third such agreement reached
this summer between the Division and health
care services firms. The company made no admission
of liability in settling with the state and
cooperated in resolving this matter.
“So
many consumers depend on the caregivers provided
by health care services firms. The operational
changes that these firms have made, as required
by their settlements with the Division, ensure
that consumers will receive the level of care
that they are paying for,” said David
Szuchman, Consumer Affairs Director.
As
part of the injunctive relief, Viaquest is
required to:
-
Not place uncertified homemaker-home health
aides with patients/employers who have contracted
for and/or require the assistance of a certified
homemaker-home health aide;
-
Verify the license status of each Health
Care Practitioner prior to placement or
referral;
- Fulfill
its duty to match credentials to need by
making diligent inquiry of employers and
Health Care Practitioners in order to ascertain
the relevant needs of the place of employment
and the Health care Practitioner’s
qualifications, prior to placement or referral;
respondent shall not place or refer a Health
Care Practitioner whose qualifications do
not reasonably match the needs and requirements
of a patient/employer;
- Verify
the Health Care Practitioner’s work
history by confirming employment at all
disclosed locations for the one-year period
prior to the date of application, prior
to placement or referral; respondent shall
make a written record of such verification
with the name and title of the individual
providing the information;
- Inquire,
at a minimum of once every 30 days, whether
the plan of care is adequate to meet the
needs of the patient/employer and whether
the plan of care is being discharged appropriately,
once a placement or referral of a Health
Care Practitioner has been made;
- Conduct,
at a minimum of once every 60 days, an on-site
in-home evaluation of the place of care,
once a replacement or referral of a Health
Care Practitioner has been made; and
- Conduct
all criminal background/history checks.
Deputy
Attorney General Cathleen O’Donnell
of the Consumer Fraud Prosecution Section
represented the state in this matter. Investigators
Don Golden and Joseph Singh led the investigation.
The
Division previously reached settlements with
VC Services, L.L.C., which does business as
Affinity Care of New Jersey, and Preferred
Health Mate, Inc.
The
Division, through its Regulated Business Section,
registers and oversees health care service
firms which provide health care or personal
care services either in the home or at a care-giving
facility. Personal care services include bathing,
toileting, transferring, dressing, grooming,
and assistance with ambulation, exercise,
or other aspects of personal hygiene.
A
list of all health care service firms registered
in New Jersey can be viewed at www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/ocp/agency.pdf.
For further information, contact the Division’s
Regulated Business Section at 973-504-6370.
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