In the absence of meaningful licensure requirements for home care providers in Massachusetts, the Home Care Alliance has established a series of Accreditation Standards as a means to promote quality services, ethical business standards, and superior employment practices.  The goal of these standards is to ensure that the clients served by agencies accredited by the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts receive safe, competent, quality, and respectful home care services.

Benefits of Accreditation:

The Home Care Agency Accreditation Program of the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts allows agencies that provide in-home client services to demonstrate that they meet high standards of quality.  Accreditation:

• Shows clients and families that your caregivers are direct employees and that you carry workers' compensation, liability insurance, and an employee dishonesty bond.
• Demonstrates that your caregivers receive background checks, screening, and proper training for their job.
• Proves your commitment to following ethical and legal guidelines in your business operations.
• Provides a competitive edge in the marketplace and can contribute to securing new business.
• Enhances staff recruitment and development by showing your commitment to fair labor standards.

Accredited agencies receive recognition in several ways:

• Use of the Alliance’s Accreditation Logo to show your commitment to quality on your website, brochures, and stationery.
• Listing on the Alliance’s website as an Accredited Agency.
• For Alliance member agencies, designation as an Accredited Agency in the Alliance’s print directories and in the Find an Agency function on the Alliance’s website, which enhances your visibility and credibility.

Accreditation Procedure:

1. Applicant agency completes questionnaire and submits required documentation to the Home Care Alliance.
2. Alliance membership and regulatory staff review questionnaire and documentation within 30 days of receipt.  If complete and satisfactory, accreditation is granted.
3. If the application is not complete, the applicant is given 30 days to provide additional or corrected documentation.
4. Any documentation submitted in support of an application for accreditation will be kept in confidence, accessible only to Alliance staff for purposes of administering the accreditation program.
5. Initial approval is for one year.  Renewals are good for two years.
6. Fee must accompany completed questionnaire.  Accreditation is free for Alliance members.  Non-members pay an initial accreditation fee of $500 and a renewal fee of $750.  All fees are non-refundable.
7. During the Accreditation period, the agency must notify the Home Care Alliance within 30 days of any change in agency name, mailing address, or branch location(s).
8. If an agency changes ownership during the Accreditation period, the new owner or officer must submit to the Home Care Alliance a completed and signed Certification and Attestation form within 30 days.  Failure to do so will result in loss of accreditation.
9. Renewal requires submission of a complete new questionnaire and documentation.
10. In the event of a credible and verifiable complaint against an accredited agency, the Alliance staff has the right to request additional documentation demonstrating compliance with accreditation standards at any time during the accreditation period.  Agencies will be given 30 days to submit documentation demonstrating compliance.  Agencies that fail to submit requested documentation within the 30-day time frame will lose their accreditation.
11. An agency can voluntarily withdraw from the accreditation program at any time by submitting a written notification to the Home Care Alliance.
12. Agencies that lose or withdraw from accreditation must wait at least six months before they can re-apply.
13. The terms and requirements of the accreditation program may be amended at any time by the Board of Directors of the Home Care Alliance of MA.  Any such changes become effective immediately for agencies seeking accreditation, and upon renewal for agencies accredited at the time of the change.