In-home health care is a service which provides personal care and medical services based upon a plan of treatment prescribed by a physician and/or surgeon who is licensed to practice medicine in the state. In-home health care is provided by a person certified by the state department as a home health aide. On the other hand, services that do not include personal care services based upon a plan of treatment prescribed by a physician and/or surgeon may be provided by a person who is not a certified home health aide.
Facilities, agencies and health care professionals that provide in-home health care services are regulated and licensed by the California Department of Public Health, Center for Health Care Quality (CHCQ), which is responsible for the regulatory oversight of health facilities to secure safe, effective and quality healthcare for all. CHCQ evaluates facilities, agencies and home health care professionals for compliance with state laws and regulations, and also investigates complaints made against these facilities, agencies and health care professionals, as well as oversees their compliance with federal laws and regulations.
If you have a question or complaint about in home health care, you can contact the California Department of Public Health, Licensing and Certification Division, through their website at www.cdph.ca.gov.
All licensed in-home health care facilities and agencies are listed on the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development’s website, www.oshpd.ca.gov, which is updated as of June 30 and December 31 each year.