HomeCare Options
HomeCare Options is a not-for-profit corporation organized for the charitable purposes of assisting individuals and/or families to maintain a healthy, stable, in-home environment where illness, aging, disability, emotional stress or other problems threaten to disrupt the household. The corporation will provide professionally supervised health and social services which may include nursing, social work, homemaker-home health aide service, housekeeping, and other services appropriate for the needs of those served.
Description:
Visiting Homemaker Service of Passaic County was incorporated in 1954 to meet a pressing need for home care in the area. It established the DBA (doing business as) name of HomeCare Options in 1998. The agency has grown to over 300 employees who provided over 400,000 hours of home care services in 2007. Visiting Homemaker Service is accredited by the National Association for Home Care, the national standard setting body for the home care aide field, and is licensed by the State of New Jersey as a Health Care Service Firm
(Lic# HP0108500). It is a voluntary, non-profit, community service agency serving all of Passaic County.
This agency is unique in that each homemaker who is employed must have completed a state approved home health aide training course, passed written and practical competency tests, undergo a criminal background check, and be certified by the New Jersey State Board of Nursing before being placed in a patient's home.
All aides work under professional supervision and are fully bonded and insured for the client's protection. The Agency maintains a staff of 10 Registered Nurses and 3 Social Workers who assess new cases, prepare plans of care, provide case management, participate in training, and supervise the aides in the home.
Visiting Homemaker Service generates revenue by charging a fee for service based on the costs of that service. Fees are covered by Medicaid, DYFS, Office on Aging, the United Way, Private Insurance, and many other auspices including private pay. Fees are charged based upon a patient's ability to pay. Clients are provided with personal care and home management services so as to prevent or postpone institutionalization or to aid at-home recovery after an acute illness. Respite care is provided for assistance to primary caregivers and there are services to the disabled and families with children. VHS is the Passaic County sponsor of the Statewide Respite program which serves hundreds of families each year. The program is designed to provide support to caregivers so that they can continue the role of providing primary services to a family member. Services under this program can include home care, adult day care, and institutional placements for up to 14 days. The Agency provides services to families with children through ECAP (Emergency Child Aide Program). This unit is funded by DYFS to work with families where there is a potential of abuse or neglect to help avoid out-of-home placement.
The Agency has a volunteer shopping program.
The Executive Director, Ken Wessel, was awarded a Master of Social Work degree from Rutgers University in 1977. He started working with VHS that same year. He currently serves on the Board of the Home Care Council of NJ. Mr. Wessel was Chair of the Passaic County Human Services Advisory Council for 5 years and currently serves as on the National Accreditation Commission which sets and enforces home care standards throughout the country.
VHSPC has been providing Seasonal Cleaning Services (Residential Maintenance) for over 10 years.
The Agency and all its staff are committed to providing services in the community to help prevent or delay institutionalization of the frail elderly or disabled and to give relief to families who have accepted the burden of care giving. Visiting Homemaker's Commitment to excellence has won it recognition and awards from many quarters throughout the Country. The Agency's Quality Improvement policies and procedures will insure that these high standards will continue in the years to come.
The hours of operation of the VHSPC office are 8AM to 5PM Monday through Friday. Weekend/Evening Coordinators answer the phones during the time the agency office is closed and RN's are on-call to monitor medical emergencies. Services are provided all days and hours as needed.
VHSPC is surveyed annually by the NJ State Medicaid Program, the State Division of Youth and Family Services, County monitors, and the National Accrediting body. The results were outstanding with no deficiencies noted. Medicaid staff working out of Morris County perform monthly home visits to our patients and report on their findings. These reports have been overwhelmingly positive as well.
History:
The Certificate of Incorporation for Passaic County Homemaker Service was signed September 27, 1954. On December 15, 1954, The Passaic County Homemaker Service, Inc., a non-profit, voluntary agency servicing Passaic County under the sponsorship of the Passaic County Medical Society, opened its doors for business. This was made possible by a $500 grant from the Woman's Auxiliary. This grant was for "running expenses". A room was also donated in the Medial Society building for an office. The office was staffed by volunteers 9 to 1, Monday through Friday. They were busy keeping files in order, scheduling homemakers, setting up classes, paying bills, and keeping accounts straight. The first President was Dr. Jack Warburton. The first training class was held in May of 1955. It trained the first 5 aides who were kept "very busy until another class could be arranged."
In May of 1961 the Agency changed it's name to Visiting Homemaker Service of Passaic County. In 1998 the Agency also secured the "alternate name" of HomeCare Options.
Due to the fine work of the organization, the need for the service in the community, and the dedication of its Board and staff, Visiting Homemaker Service of Passaic County has grown to a $8,000,000 corporation with over 300 employees. The Agency provides over 400,000 hours of home health aide service to thousands of people each year.
Contact people:
Office fax number: (973) 523-5228
Address:
Web Site: http://www.homecareoptions.com
| Last updated on September 21, 2009 |
