Visiting Angels West Springfield Receives Home-care Accreditation

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Visiting Angels, a private-pay home-care agency based in West Springfield, is among a select group of agencies to earn accreditation from the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts. The alliance, which represents 180 home-health and eldercare agencies across Massachusetts, has created an accreditation protocol to promote quality services, ethical business standards, and superior employment practices in an industry that lacks meaningful licensure in Massachusetts even as it grows in popularity.

“We are proud to promote these accreditation standards that convey Visiting Angels’ commitment to quality,” said Michele Anstett, director of Visiting Angels West Springfield. “The peace of mind for our clients is paramount, and we are hopeful people will continue to see the advantages of keeping people independent in their homes and communities.”

The Home Care Alliance launched this accreditation program for private-pay agencies (agencies that are not paid by Medicare or Medicaid) in 2010. Agencies seeking accreditation are required to submit documentation to show that they meet standards established by the organization.

The standards were developed over several months in consultation with an advisory task force representing agencies throughout the Commonwealth. Training requirements, administrative protocols, and business practices are among the categories the Home Care Alliance reviews for accreditation.

“We wanted to provide leadership for an area that is becoming more and more important to the healthcare-delivery system in Massachusetts,” said Patricia Kelleher, executive director of the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts. “These standards highlight our agencies’ best practices and will help guide members of the public as they choose who will take care of their loved ones in their homes.”