(TRENTON)—Governor James E. McGreevey
signed into law today Assembly Bill 701, which requires home
health agencies and home care service firms to provide
patients with information about their employees in advance of,
or at the time of, their initial visit.
“Each and every day, thousands of families
throughout New Jersey rely on the valuable and essential
services provided by home health care professionals,” said
McGreevey. “With this new law requiring that home health aides
provide patients with information on their training and
background, families can feel even more confident that their
loved ones will be in good hands. I would like to
recognize Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg, as well as the other
legislative sponsors, for their leadership and efforts in
making sure this important piece of legislation became law.”
Assemblywomen Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen)
and Charlotte Vandervalk (R-Bergen) sponsored A-701. The
Senate version of the bill, S-499, was sponsored by Senators
Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) and John Adler (D-Camden).
The legislation passed both houses unanimously.
“Better scrutiny of home health care
workers will ensure that patients are receiving the full
measure of services they need and deserve,” said
Weinberg. “Ill trained or unqualified individuals should
not be posing as home health providers who may be called upon
to make crucial emergency decisions that could make the
difference between life and death.”
The law was initiated by a constituent in
Assemblywoman Weinberg’s district who was unable to obtain
accurate or complete information about the qualifications or
abilities of several of the attendants that home health
service providers sent to her home to care for their
developmentally disabled daughter.
Specifically, the law states that whenever
caring for a patient, home health care professionals must wear
identification tags containing their name and title, and
eventually a photograph. In addition, the law requires that
patients receive a copy of the most current edition of the
“Consumer Guide to Homemaker-Home Health Aides” published by
the New Jersey Board of Nursing.
Furthermore, any health care service firm
or other employment agency that is regulated by the Division
of Consumer Affairs that employ an uncertified or unregulated
home health care professional must provide patients, in
writing, with information on the home health care
professional’s training.
Each patient must be provided, in writing,
with notification that the person providing services is not a
certified or regulated home health care professional;
information about training; proof that the person is a U.S.
citizen or legally documented alien; and evidence of
employment history and/ or character references.
