There is a lot of trust involved with caring for another human being, especially in the home health care field. Employees are sent out to client’s homes and are expected to provide quality service. I believe home health companies need even greater screening of staff because of the lack of daily supervision. In a nursing home, there are many “eyes” watching over employees including the director of nursing and the nursing home administrator.

This week I was given a web address for the Florida Worker’s Compensation Claims. On this website, you can type in the name of a person (even the way it sounds) and it will give any previous compensation history of a person living in Florida. You may ask why is this important? As I mentioned earlier, there is a lot of trust between management and staff to provide quality care to residents and/or clients. The more you know about a person’s work history the better.Check out this website.

Yesterday someone close to me was robbed in Ocala. Two men wandered up to her property the day before, asking for farm labor. They claimed to be hard workers and would do a good job for her. Needless to say, she hired them on the spot. To her surprise the next day, all her lawn equipment and tools had been stolen, adding up to about $4,000. This left her feeling violated and extremely angry.

She stated, “How could they do such a thing? When no one would hire them. I gave them work and paid them fairly. Why couldn’t they treat me with the same respect?”

Later, she found out from the police that these men had long criminal records including assault. One of the men even had a warrant out for his arrest. Although this incident is truly upsetting, she is fortunate to be alive.

Honesty is something my friend expected, and they violated it. In long-term care, we often entrust strangers to provide quality care. But truly–how do we know they are honest individuals? And, how do we know they will do a good job? Hiring someone new is a gamble…that’s why people often look to an outside agency to provide quality workers, and also to take on the liability.

Most companies whether nursing facilities or home health agencies, thoroughly background screen their employees. If these dishonest men had worked in the health care field, they likely wouldn’t have been hired. At the same time, if my dear friend had checked into their background, she would have been aware of their dangerous history.

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To qualify for this program a veteran must have had 90 days or more of active duty, only one day of which was during wartime. It is not necessary that they saw combat. They must not have had a dishonorable discharge.

In addition, the veteran or spouse must be determined to be “permanently and totally disabled.” This includes but no limited to: trouble dressing/undressing him or herself, blindness, and mental or physical incapacity.

The veteran or spouse does not need to be house bound or considered helpless. You just have to prove the person is in need of aid and attendance on a regular basis. The V.A. will generally accept a letter from a physician, which should state that the person has an incapacity that requires care or assistance on a regular basis to live safely at home.

There is a net worth requirement for this program. This is something the V.A. could assist you with since it changes on a routine basis. The last known net worth cutoff was $80,000, not including your home.

In addition to the net worth requirement, there is also an income requirement. The veteran’s countable income should not exceed the maximum annual pension rate which is currently $1,673 (adjusted periodically), or $869.00 per month for the spouse. However, some items may be deducted from income in order to meet this criteria. For example: doctor and dental visits, co-payments, medical supplies, therapy, transportation to the doctor, ect.

It can take up to ninety days to receive approval. However, once approved payments are made retroactively from the first month after the month that you apply. So, funds you previously spent on home care may be reimbursed to you when the V.A. aid and attendants coverage starts.

This information was provided by Interim Healthcare Private Services (Ocala, Florida), which provides quality home care to veterans and others needing assistance. To view their website, click on the link: www.interimhealthcare.com

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