Our Mission

As the Private Home Care Program is administered and delivered by the Georgia Department of Community Health, this manual is designed to ensure consistency of private home care services and home care standards throughout the state.

The program expectations in the delivery of private home care are addressed in Georgia Department of Community Health Private Home Care Policy Manual.

This manual provides direction and guidance to regional health authorities. The policies represent a statement of required course of action. Guidelines, on the other hand, are provided as recommendations to assist in meeting the expectations of policies. Adherence to the policies is one of the conditions under which funding is provided to the Regional Health Authorities by the Georgia Department of Community Health.

It should be noted that this manual does not address in any detail, requirements which private home care programs must meet as established by other legislation.

Private Home Care is an integral part of the continuum of care that includes both community and institutional services necessary to ensure the best possible quality of life for people with varying degrees of short and long-term illness or disability and support needs. An effective continuum of care requires strong community and institutional support sectors so that appropriate services can be accessed when and where they are needed.

The Board of Georgia Department of Community Health Authority is vested with full legal authority and responsibility for the private home care program. Though not limited to the following, the board is responsible for the observance of, and compliance with, Georgia Department of Community Health Act and Regulations and provincial policy pertaining to the delivery of private home care. .

The Georgia Department of Community Health is accountable:

a) through the Georgia Department of Community Health to the Legislature for the proper expenditure of public funds to provide home care services.

b) for planning, administrating and delivering home care services in the region; and

c) for adhering to program policies established by the Community Care Branch of the Georgia Department of Community Health.

The Georgia Department of Community Health provides global funding to the Regional Health Authorities for the day-to-day delivery of health programs and services, including private home care services.

The regions have the flexibility to use the global funds to provide a full range of home care services to help people remain healthy and independent. The regions strive to ensure that appropriate care is provided to clients in their regions. However, when considering the delivery of health care services, the Regional Health Authority must take into consideration the needs of the entire region, within available resources.

The Georgia Department of Community Health would like to acknowledge the contribution to the manual by the staff of the Regional Health Authorities.

September 2021