Fact Sheet & Highlights: An Act to Improve Massachusetts Home Care S.3170

An Act to improve Massachusetts home care creates a licensing process for home care workers, who provide non-medical care such as dressing, meal preparation, bathing, and other tasks that help older adults age in place.

The legislation ensures the safety and security of aging residents who rely on home care workers, who often provide significant support to not only the individual utilizing their services but to their family as well.

The details of the legislation are below.

Promotes Trust in Home Care Workers. Creates a licensure process for home care workers to ensure peace of mind for families, safety for people receiving care, and a high level of integrity for all home care workers. The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) would create the licensure structure, which would include fingerprinting and background checks. A worker’s driving record would also be checked if they provide transportation to their client.

Shares Directory of Licensed Agencies. Helps families and individuals in need of home care connect with a properly checked and licensed home care agency. Requires EOHHS to post a list of licensed agencies online. Makes clear that unverified entities cannot advertise themselves as a home care agency without state licensure.

Listens to Clients and Workers. Creates a committee—the Home Care Worker and Consumer Abuse Stakeholder Advisory Committee—to advise EOHHS on new regulations and how to handle safety concerns for both consumers and home care workers. Also creates a panel—the Home Care Oversight Advisory Council—to advise EOHHS on licensing requirements.

Explores Support Program for Older Adults. Creates a special commission to explore the idea of a possible state program which people would pay into and from which older and retired adults would receive long-term services or supports.

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