Community Visiting Nurse Association recommends that you ask the following questions when selecting a home health care provider.

Is literature available that describes the agency's eligibility requirements? Is there information on costs, services provided and funding sources?  A brochure can be obtained from Community Visiting Nurse Association, outlining eligibility requirements, costs, services and funding sources. Call 908-725-9355 for a copy.

Is the agency licensed, certified and accredited?
Community Visiting Nurse Association is:
• Licensed by the New Jersey State Department of Health
• Licensed by the New Jersey State Department of Consumer Affairs
• Certified by The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS, formerly HCFA)
• Accredited by Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP)
• Accredited by the Community Accreditation for Home Care (CAHC)

How many years has the agency been serving the community?
Community VNA has been an integral part of the community since 1948 and from its inception, has provided needed services regardless of ability to pay.

How are employees hired and trained?
All qualifications, education, licenses and certifications are verified and confirmed before applicants are hired or contracted. Once on staff, licenses and certifications are checked upon renewal dates. To ensure the organization's standards of care are being met, the first four months of employment are introductory. Thereafter, skills are evaluated annually and as needed. Only candidates with the necessary experience in their field are considered for employment.

Orientation and training consists of several weeks of direct education and supervised instruction while giving care, followed by working with a preceptor until the staff member is ready to be independent. The preceptor continues to follow-up with the new employee for several months, reviewing care, protocols, and problem solving.

How is patient confidentiality addressed?
Community VNA adheres strictly to the privacy practices required by the Health Insurance Portability And Accessibility (HIPAA) rules. Please see the privacy practices section. All patient information is considered strictly confidential. Personnel are instructed in confidentiality issues and policies during the orientation period and annually.

Is there an explanation of client rights and responsibilities?
A copy and an explanation of the client's rights and responsibilities is provided to the client by the visiting nurse during the admission visit. The client is given a copy of the Patient Care Handbook that contains a copy of the client rights and responsibilities in large, more easy to read type. Our staff is happy to answer any questions you may have about these rights and responsibilities.

Is an evaluation of the client's home health care needs required? If so, what is involved? Who does this? Are the client's family and physician consulted?
All care is base upon physician orders. After Community Visiting Nurse Association receives a referral for care, the visiting nurse does an assessment of the client's and family's needs and knowledge. The physician is consulted and confirms the plan of care, which the visiting nurse then discusses in detail with the client, family or primary caregiver.

When are agency caregivers available? Is service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?
At Community Visiting Nurse Association, services are available anytime, day and night, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, weekends and holidays. Referrals can be made any time during office hours. An easy fax referral form may be obtained on this website.  Office staff are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Is there a detailed, written plan of care for the client? Does the client's family and physician receive a copy? Is the plan updated over the course of treatment?
When a referral for home care services is called to Community VNA, the orders for care are verified with the physician. During the admission visit, the nurse provides a complete assessment, discussing the plan of care with the client and family and confirming the plan with the physician. The care plan is then sent to the physician for his signature. As the care plan changes, new physician orders are signed, and the patient and family are instructed in those changes. The physician keeps a copy of the plan of care and the updates. The client and family are given verbal updates, along with written instructions as appropriate.

Are client's family members fully educated about the type of care being provided?
Educating both the client and the family (primary care giver) regarding necessary care, disease management, medications, diet, and physician follow-up is key to the client's success and an integral part of the CVNA philosophy of care.

How is the quality of care monitored? Are supervisors/managers assigned to oversee caregiver's service? Who can you call with questions or concerns? Does the agency have a policy in place to resolve any issues that might arise?
All staff are supervised by an experienced manager who is responsible for overseeing care. The Quality Improvement Manager does utilization review on a quarterly basis to assess that all care is appropriate. The Quality Improvement committee meets to discuss findings and plan methods of improvement. CVNA actively participates with CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services) and its OBQI (outcome based quality improvement), using our outcomes to compare ourselves with agencies both statewide and nationwide. Our outcomes show the high quality of our care.

Satisfaction surveys are sent to all of our discharged clients with results being used as a measure of performance to ascertain any areas needing improvement. Surveys are processed by Press Ganey, one of the nations premier companies in patient satisfaction.  On admission, all clients are provided with a copy of the complaint procedure in the patient care handbook, specifying who to notify, how to notify them and a time period for the issue to be resolved.  The patient handbook provides information regarding the process to discuss concerns about your care.

How does the agency do its billing? Are all costs and fees listed on a written schedule?
During the admission visit, clients are provided with a list of all charges and information on what part of the fee, if any, is not covered by insurance. Community VNA bills the insurance company directly.

Who pays for home care services?
Skilled care is usually covered by the client's insurance. Community VNA contracts with most major insurers and will work with managed care companies to get authorizations for home care services. Services may be paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, Blue Cross, Aetna, private insurers and managed care providers, and other third party payors, as well as private pay. A sliding scale based on ability to pay is available for people without health insurance who require skilled care. This is made possible by private donations, funds made available through fundraising, and the Somerset County United Way.