Home Care Quality Measures -
Percent of Patients Who Stay at Home After an Episode of Home Care Ends

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This percentage addresses the ratio of home care patients who are able to live at home alone and can manage their condition independently, or live with others and can manage their condition with help. This means they no longer need nursing or therapy from a home care agency, and did not go into a hospital or nursing home after home care ended. Higher percentages are better.

Why is this important?

Most people would rather stay at home and take care of themselves than go into a nursing home or hospital. If a high percentage of a home care agency’s patients stay at home after an episode of their home care ends, it may indicate that the home care agency has done its job of checking on their patient’s health status at each visit to find and treat problems early.

Home care staff can help a patient stay at home by doing things like:

• checking to see that they are getting the treatment and medicine they need,
• monitoring what they eat and drink,
• checking to see that they are able to get around their home safely,
• letting their doctor know of any changes to their health and
• teaching the patient and family how to provide needed care after home care ends.

The home care staff should call the patient’s doctor if there are signs that the patient’s health has declined. The patient or their caregiver may also call the doctor if their health worsens or if they think their home care services are ending too early.

The U.S. and state averages for this measure were provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).