Home Care - Information for Consumers

Home care is a health service provided in the patient's home to promote, maintain, or restore health or lessen the effects of illness and disability. Services may include nursing care; speech, physical and occupational therapies; home health aide services and personal care services.

Please be advised that New York State Public Health Law requires that an organization must be licensed or certified as a home care agency by the New York State Department of Health in order to provide or arrange for home care services in New York State.

Certified Home Health Agencies (CHHAs) provide part-time, intermittent health care and support services to people who need intermediate and skilled health care.

Licensed Home Care Services Agencies (LHCSAs) offer home care services to people who pay out of pocket (with their own funds) or have private insurance coverage.

To view information on specific Certified Home Health Agencies and Licensed Home Care Service Agencies, including available quality measures, please visit the Home Health and Hospice Profiles

The Home Care Registry provides limited information about individual Home Health Aides and Personal Care Aides that have successfully completed state approved training program. To access the Home Care Registry, please visit:

• New York State Home Care Registry

Managed long-term care (MLTC) is a system that streamlines the delivery of long-term services to people who are chronically ill or disabled and who wish to stay in their homes and communities.

If you need more information about Home Care, please contact the Division of Home and Community Based Services at 518-408-1638 or homecare@health.ny.gov