Glossary
The home care terms, in plain English
Agencies, plans and state offices use a lot of acronyms. Here is what they mean.
- HCSF (Health Care Service Firm)
- A business that places or employs caregivers, such as home health aides, to provide non-medical care in the home. HCSFs must register every year with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs.
- CHHA (Certified Home Health Aide)
- An aide certified by the NJ Board of Nursing to provide hands-on personal care such as bathing and dressing. Aides doing personal care in New Jersey must hold this certification.
- Home Health Agency
- An agency licensed by the NJ Department of Health to provide skilled nursing and therapy at home under a doctor’s plan of care.
- Medicare home health
- A Medicare benefit covering intermittent skilled nursing and therapy for homebound patients when ordered by a doctor. It does not cover ongoing hourly or live-in aides.
- CMS star rating
- A 1 to 5 star quality rating that Medicare publishes for certified home health agencies on Care Compare, based on patient outcomes and surveys.
- MLTSS
- Managed Long Term Services and Supports. The NJ FamilyCare (Medicaid) program that pays for home and community care for people who need nursing-home level of care.
- Accreditation
- A voluntary review by an independent body, such as CHAP, ACHC or The Joint Commission, confirming an agency meets its quality standards.
- CHAP
- Community Health Accreditation Partner, an accrediting body focused on home and community care.
- ACHC
- Accreditation Commission for Health Care, an accrediting body for home care and other providers.
- Enforcement action
- A public action by a state agency, such as a civil penalty, consent order, suspension or revocation, taken after a violation of state rules.
- Live-in care
- One caregiver who stays in the home, usually with an unpaid sleep break, as opposed to 24-hour care in awake shifts.
- IDD
- Intellectual and developmental disabilities. Adults with IDD in New Jersey may receive services funded by the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD).