Caregiver takes woman's blood sugar reading in kitchen

Six out of eight home health agencies had infection control policies and procedures in place that met Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requirements. That’s the finding from a recent audit by the Office of Inspector General.

The audit included three of the nation’s largest home healthcare agencies and five agencies that were cited for infection prevention and control deficiencies in a 2019 and 2020 review. OIG, which is responsible for oversight of the Department of Health and Human Services, did not name the agencies. 

OIG took into account whether the agencies followed CMS guidance, had an agency wide infection control program, infection control education plans and guidance for screening and treating staff and patients for COVID-19.

OIG found that one of the two agencies that failed the audit put staff and patients at risk due to a long list of deficiencies. The company didn’t require staff to follow standard precautions to prevent the transmission of infections and communicable diseases, had no documentation to identify and track infections, had no protocols for staff to follow to adhere to CMS guidance and had no information about how to care for patients infected with the coronavirus.

OIG recommended that CMS develop and share with the home healthcare industry information on COVID-19 infection prevention and control best practices that agencies can use to comply with CMS requirements.