Choosing a home health agency is one of the most consequential decisions a family makes during a recovery or chronic care episode. Most families pick from a hospital-provided list with no guidance. Here are the 10 questions that separate excellent agencies from average ones.

1. Are you Medicare certified?

Non-negotiable for Medicare/Medicaid coverage. Verify on Medicare.gov's Care Compare. Optimum is fully Medicare certified.

2. What's your CMS star rating?

Medicare publishes a 5-star rating for every certified agency based on quality measures and patient surveys. Aim for 4+ stars.

3. Who actually provides care?

Some agencies use contracted clinicians. Ask:

  • Are your nurses W-2 employees or contractors?
  • What's your clinician turnover rate?
  • Will my parent see the same nurse most visits?

Continuity is care quality.

4. What's your bilingual capacity?

For Spanish-speaking households: ask if the primary nurse and aide will speak Spanish, not whether translation is "available." Optimum staffs bilingual clinicians as the standard.

5. What's your coverage area and same-day admit capacity?

Some agencies admit only Monday–Friday. Crises don't wait. Optimum admits 7 days a week across 9 Illinois counties.

6. What insurance plans do you contract with?

Verify your plan is in-network. Optimum is contracted with Medicare, Medicaid, and 13 commercial plans.

7. Do you have a 24/7 nurse line?

After-hours symptoms shouldn't mean an ER visit. A real nurse on the phone after 6pm can triage 80% of concerns at home.

8. How do you communicate with caregivers?

  • Visit notes shared electronically?
  • Phone updates after each visit?
  • Family portal?

Communication style varies dramatically — pick what fits your family.

9. Who's your medical director?

A physician medical director provides clinical oversight. A named, accessible MD signals quality.

10. Can I speak with current families?

Quality agencies provide references. Ask for 2–3 families with similar needs.

When you're ready to compare, call Optimum at (773) 878-8738 — we welcome the conversation.