How to Choose a Home Care Agency in New Jersey

By the care managers at Connections Care Management · Updated November 2026

What kinds of home care are there?

Families often use "home care" to mean several different things. Knowing which one you need saves time.

• Home health care (skilled). Nurses and therapists who visit for a set period, usually after a hospital stay, under a doctor's order. This is the kind Medicare may cover when the rules are met.
• Personal care and companion care (non-medical). Aides who help with bathing, dressing, meals, housekeeping, errands and company. This is what most families mean by a "home care agency," and it is usually paid privately, through long term care insurance, or through a Medicaid program if your parent qualifies.
• Live-in care. An aide who lives in the home for several days at a time. Rules about sleep and breaks apply, so ask agencies exactly how they handle this.

This guide focuses on the second kind: agencies that provide aides for daily help.

How do I check that a New Jersey agency is legitimate?

In New Jersey, agencies that place aides in homes, called health care service firms, must be registered with the state Division of Consumer Affairs. Aides who provide hands-on personal care are generally Certified Homemaker-Home Health Aides (CHHAs), certified through the NJ Board of Nursing.

Before you sign anything:

• Ask the agency for its registration and confirm it with the Division of Consumer Affairs. You can also ask the Division whether complaints have been filed.
• Ask whether every aide sent to your parent is a currently certified CHHA, and check the aide's certification yourself through the state's license lookup.
• Ask about criminal background checks and how often they are updated.
• Ask whether aides are employees of the agency or independent contractors, since that affects who is responsible for taxes, insurance and supervision.

Rules change, so confirm current requirements with the state if you have questions.

What questions should I ask a home care agency?

About the aides

• "How do you recruit and screen aides? Do you check references?"
• "What training do aides get beyond certification? Do any have dementia training?"
• "How do you match an aide to a client? Can we meet the aide before the first shift?"
• "What happens if my parent does not like the aide?"
• "How do you keep the same aide with my parent instead of rotating people?"

About supervision

• "Who supervises the aides? Is there a nurse involved, and how often do they visit?"
• "Do you do a home visit before care starts, and do you write a care plan?"
• "How do aides record what they did each shift? Can family see those notes?"

About reliability

• "What happens when an aide calls out sick? How fast can you send a replacement?"
• "Who do I call at night or on weekends?"
• "What is your minimum shift length and minimum hours per week?"

About tasks

• "What can your aides do, and what can they not do?" (For example, medication reminders versus giving medications, or driving.)
• "Can aides help with transfers, a shower chair, or a Hoyer lift?"
• "Will they cook to my parent's diet, such as low salt or diabetic?"

About contracts and billing

• "Can I see the full service agreement before we start?"
• "How much notice do you need to change or cancel shifts?"
• "Do you bill long term care insurance directly, or do we submit claims?"
• "Are there different charges for nights, weekends or holidays?"

What are the red flags?

• The agency will not show proof of state registration.
• They are vague about whether aides are certified.
• No home visit or care plan before the first shift.
• A different aide shows up almost every day.
• You cannot reach a person when something goes wrong.
• Pressure to sign a long contract or commit to more hours than you asked for.
• Aides who are asked to handle your parent's money or sign documents.

Should we hire an agency or a private caregiver?

Some families hire an aide directly instead of through an agency. It can work, but it shifts responsibility to you. You become the employer. That can mean handling payroll taxes, insurance, background checks, backup coverage and what happens if there is an injury or a dispute. An agency costs more for that reason: they carry those responsibilities.

If you are thinking about hiring privately, talk to an accountant or elder law attorney first about your obligations.

How do I prepare my parent and the home?

1. Talk about it as help for a specific task. "Someone to help with showers and lunch" lands better than "a caregiver."
2. Write a one-page profile. Daily routine, food likes and dislikes, what calms your parent, topics to avoid, emergency contacts, doctors.
3. Post the medication list and be clear about who is responsible for pills.
4. Clear tripping hazards and make sure the bathroom has grab bars and a shower chair if needed. Our home safety checklist can help.
5. Lock up valuables and financial papers. This protects everyone, including the aide.
6. Be there for the first shift if you can, or ask someone you trust to be.

How do I know if it is working?

Give it a few weeks, and watch for these signs:

• Your parent is eating, bathing and taking medications more reliably.
• The same aide or a small team shows up on time.
• Your parent mentions the aide by name, and not only with complaints.
• The agency calls you about problems before you discover them.
• Shift notes match what you see.

If your parent keeps sending aides home, it is not always about the aide. It may be embarrassment, a change in memory, or a sense of losing control. Our guide on when a parent refuses help covers this.

What should I do if something goes wrong?

Even good agencies have problems. How they respond tells you a lot.

• Small issues (late arrivals, a missed task): call the agency coordinator, describe exactly what happened, and ask what they will do differently.
• Repeated issues: ask for a meeting with the supervisor or nurse. Bring notes with dates.
• Serious concerns such as rough handling, missing money or an aide asleep on a shift: tell the agency right away and ask for a different aide. If you believe your parent has been abused, neglected or exploited, contact your county Adult Protective Services. You can also file a complaint about an agency with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs.

Keep a simple log. A notebook by the phone, or a shared note family members can see, makes patterns easier to spot.

How many hours of home care does my parent need?

This is the question families struggle with most. Too few hours and your parent is unsafe. Too many and the cost becomes hard to sustain. The answer depends on when your parent is most at risk (mornings, evenings, nights), whether they can call for help, their memory, and what family can cover. A professional assessment can give you a clear recommendation instead of a guess.

How does Connections Care Management help with home care?

We do not run a home care agency, and we never accept commissions or referral fees from one. Our only job is to make sure your parent gets the right help.

• Our care assessment tells you how much and what kind of help your parent needs.
• With in-home care coordination, we screen and arrange care, then oversee it: visiting, checking in with aides and the agency, and fixing problems early.
• If your parent's needs change, our ongoing care management adjusts the plan.

We work across northern New Jersey and Rockland County, NY. Contact us for a free first conversation. You may also find care manager vs. home care agency helpful.