Audit Report On The Contract Management Unit Of The Human Resources Administration’s Home Care Services Program

AUDIT REPORT IN BRIEF

This report determined whether the Human Resources Administration (HRA) Contract Management Unit (CMU) adequately monitored the home attendant and housekeeping services provided by its vendor agencies in Fiscal Year 2004. HRA’s Home Care Services Program (HCSP) arranges for services to Medicaid-eligible clients by assessing client needs and determining the appropriate care required. HCSP provides assistance with activities of daily living, such as personal hygiene, mobility, toileting, and feeding, as well as with housekeeping services, such as cleaning, meal preparation, shopping, and laundry services. HRA contracts with a total of 70 different home care agencies to provide home attendant and housekeeping services. As of Fiscal Year 2004, the 57 home attendant agencies and 13 housekeeping agencies had caseloads ranging from 125 to 1,800 clients.
Audit Findings and Conclusions
The HRA Contract Management Unit adequately monitored the home attendant and housekeeping services provided by its contracted vendor agencies in Fiscal Year 2004. However, the audit found areas for improvement. CMU did not adequately follow up on incomplete pre-employment screening information on vendors’ home care service employees. In addition, CMU did not enforce applicable standards relating to the timeliness of supervisory and assessment nursing visits. Further, while CMU’s home care service reviews were generally adequate, there were some discrepancies relating to the accuracy of CMU’s review of information contained in vendor documentation.
Audit Recommendations
The audit recommended that the HRA should:
• Enhance its efforts to ensure the accuracy of its reviews of vendor performance in the areas of recruitment and pre-employment screening.