Visiting Angels West Springfield Receives Home-care Reaccreditation

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Visiting Angels West Springfield, a private-pay home-care agency based in West Springfield, has reaffirmed its commitment to quality care and ethical business practices by earning reaccreditation from the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts.

The alliance, which represents 180 home-health and elder-care agencies across Massachusetts, created an accreditation protocol to promote quality services, ethical business standards, and superior employment practices in an industry that lacks meaningful licensure in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts even while it grows in popularity.

“We are proud to meet these accreditation standards that convey our commitment to quality,” said Michele Anstett, president of Visiting Angels West Springfield. “Peace of mind for our clients and their families is our primary goal. By maintaining our accreditation, we demonstrate that we not only promote high-quality, compassionate care, but we actually deliver on that promise.”

The Home Care Alliance launched this accreditation program for private-pay agencies (agencies that are not paid by Medicare or Medicaid) in July 2010. Since that time, more than 60 agencies have submitted documentation to show they meet the standards established by the alliance. The standards were revised in 2017 to raise the bar to promote even higher standards for agencies seeking reaccreditation.

“The Alliance’s accreditation program demonstrates our leadership for an area that is becoming more and more important to the healthcare-delivery system in Massachusetts,” said Timothy Burgers, associate director of the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts. “The revised 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.”