Home Care Services
Short answer: New Century Home Care provides licensed, non-medical home care services in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. We help older adults and people with disabilities with daily activities. You can pay privately, or use the Medicaid Community HealthChoices (CHC) waiver or eligible VA programs.
Key points
- Home care includes personal care, companionship, respite, and specialized non-medical support.
- Services do not include skilled nursing, wound care, or medical treatments.
- The Medicaid CHC waiver pays for Personal Assistance Services if you are functionally and financially eligible.
- Family members can often be hired as paid caregivers, with exceptions for spouses and legal representatives.
- Caregivers must pass Pennsylvania background checks, TB screening, and competency requirements.
What a licensed home care agency does in Pennsylvania
Under Pennsylvania law 28 Pa. Code §611.5, a home care agency supplies, arranges, or schedules employees to provide services in a consumer’s place of residence. The state defines five specific categories of home care services.
Personal care includes hands-on assistance with self-administered medications, feeding, oral care, skin and mouth care, shaving, and hair care. It also covers ambulation, bathing, dressing, toileting, and transfer activities.
Assistance with instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) covers practical household tasks. Examples are meal preparation, housekeeping, shopping, laundry, using transportation, managing money and using a telephone.
Companionship services offer socialization alongside support with IADLs.
Respite care provides short-term personal care and IADL help. This service is used because of the absence of, or need for relief for, the persons normally providing the unpaid care.
Specialized care involves non-skilled services unique to the consumer’s needs. These services facilitate health, safety, welfare, and the ability to live independently.
All these are non-skilled services directed by the consumer or their representative.
Our services
We provide a range of non-medical support options to meet different daily needs.
| Service | What it covers | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Senior care | Companionship, personal care, homemaker tasks, and mobility assistance for daily living. | Senior care |
| Specialized support | Non-skilled help for people living with dementia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke recovery, chronic disease, or recovering from surgery. | Specialized support |
| Respite care | Short-term relief for unpaid family caregivers in the person’s home. | Respite care |
| Veteran home care | Assistance for eligible veterans through specific VA programs. | Veteran home care |
What we don’t do
New Century Home Care aides do not perform skilled nursing tasks. We do not provide wound care, give injections, administer IVs, or conduct nursing assessments.
If your loved one needs medical care at home, they may require Medicare home health services. Medicare covers part-time or intermittent skilled nursing and physical, occupational, or speech therapy for homebound individuals.
Medicare will only cover a home health aide if the person is also receiving skilled care. It does not pay for 24-hour care or personal care when that is the only help needed. Learn more about how Medicare and Medicaid differ. For official Medicare rules, visit Medicare.gov.
How it’s paid for in Philadelphia
Home care is funded through state programs, federal benefits, or private funds. For adults 21 and older who qualify for long-term services and supports, the Medicaid Community HealthChoices (CHC) waiver pays for care at home.
Applying for the CHC waiver involves several steps. You start by calling the Independent Enrollment Broker (IEB) at 1-877-550-4227. The IEB sends a Physician Certification form to your doctor, who should return it within five business days. An assessor from the local Area Agency on Aging visits your home to conduct a Functional Eligibility Determination (FED). The County Assistance Office (CAO) then reviews your income and resources to confirm financial eligibility.
| Payer | Covers this? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Medicaid CHC waiver | Yes | Pays for Personal Assistance Services and respite. You must be functionally and financially eligible for the waiver. The CHC service coordinator sets the hours in your person-centered service plan. Read about PA Medicaid eligibility. |
| Medicare | No | Only covers home health aides alongside skilled nursing or therapy. Does not pay for non-medical home care agencies. |
| Private pay | Yes | You pay out of pocket. We explain the rates when you call to set up a schedule. |
| VA programs | Yes (for eligible veterans) | Homemaker and Home Health Aide Care uses contracted organizations. Veteran-Directed Care gives a budget to hire workers. Start by asking a VA social worker. |
| Long-term care insurance | Depends | Coverage depends on the specific policy rules. Check your contract. |
Can a family member be the paid caregiver?
Yes, family members can be paid to provide care through the Medicaid CHC waiver. You can work as an employee of New Century Home Care to provide Personal Assistance Services to your relative.
The CHC waiver will not pay for services provided by the participant’s spouse. It also excludes legal guardians, representative payees, and power of attorney (POA) holders.
Pennsylvania law states that no one affiliated with a home care agency may assume POA or guardianship over a consumer of that agency. Find out how to get paid to care for your loved one.
If you are looking for home care or want to work as a caregiver for a relative, contact us. Call 215-974-0000 or fill out our contact form and select “I am a client” then “I need services”.
How to start with New Century
Setting up home care involves a specific process to ensure safety and compliance with Pennsylvania regulations.
- Contact us: Call 215-974-0000 or use our website form. We ask about the daily help needed, your preferred schedule, and how you plan to pay.
- Coordinate payment: If you use the CHC waiver, tell your plan’s service coordinator that you choose New Century Home Care. If you pay privately, we agree on a schedule and rate.
- Caregiver screening: Before hiring a direct care worker, we conduct an interview and obtain at least two satisfactory references from former employers or non-relatives. We obtain a criminal history report, which includes a Pennsylvania State Police record or an FBI record with a Department of Aging letter of determination.
- Health and competency requirements: Caregivers must pass a TB screening for active tuberculosis before consumer contact. They must also demonstrate competency by passing our exam or completing a state-recognized training program covering infection control, emergency handling, and personal care tasks.
- Caregiver assignment: We assign a caregiver who has passed all requirements. If you have a relative who wants the job, they must apply and meet these same state rules.
If you are a caregiver looking for work, you can apply directly on our jobs page. Caregivers hired by New Century Home Care receive weekly pay, direct deposit, paid sick days, and holiday pay. We offer a 401(k) retirement plan, free life insurance, and a free health insurance plan option. Caregivers may also qualify for a $350 signing bonus.
Where we work
New Century Home Care is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. We are an Office of Long Term Living (OLTL) provider.
We work with the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA), which conducts the Functional Eligibility Determination for the CHC waiver in Philadelphia. We also work with Keystone First CHC, the AmeriHealth Caritas plan in the Southeast zone.
We serve five counties: Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester.
Our office is located at 101 E Olney Ave #270, Philadelphia, PA 19120. Our staff speaks English, Russian, and Ukrainian.
Ready to arrange care? Call 215-974-0000 or submit our online form, selecting “I am a client” and “I need services”.
Frequently asked questions
Will Medicare pay for home care?
Medicare does not pay for non-medical home care or 24-hour personal care. It only covers part-time home health aides if the person is homebound and also receiving skilled nursing or therapy services.
What kind of services does home care provide?
Non-medical home care provides personal care (bathing, dressing, toileting), assistance with daily activities (meal preparation, housekeeping), companionship, and respite care. It does not include skilled medical treatments like wound care or injections.
Do you accept Medicaid?
Yes, we accept the Medicaid Community HealthChoices (CHC) waiver. We work with Keystone First CHC (AmeriHealth Caritas) in the Southeast zone; call us if your loved one is on another CHC plan to provide Personal Assistance Services.
Can I choose my own caregiver?
Yes. If you use the CHC waiver, a qualifying relative or friend can be hired by our agency to provide your care. Spouses and legal representatives cannot be paid as caregivers under this program.
