Consumer Guide: Finding and Choosing a Home Health Agency
In Wisconsin, the state licenses and regulates certain home health agencies (based on Wis. Admin. Code ch. DHS
View home health agency directory (PDF)
Home health agency directory in Excel (Excel)
What is a home health agency?
A home health agency is a team that visits people in their home. They provide part-time skilled nursing care and other services as needed. Examples of home health agency services include help with:
- Assistive devices.
- Gait training (standing and walking).
- Medicines and when to take them for complex medical conditions.
- Transfer techniques (how to move from one surface to another).
- Urinary catheters.
- Wound care for open, infected, or complex wounds.
When looking for the right home health agency, it's important to find one that you like and trust. We have resources to help you choose the best option for you.
Home health care resources
Expand the section that applies to you to view a list of resources. Select a link to learn more.
Along with the directory, these resources can help you learn more about home health options.
- Aging and disability resource centers (ADRCs) - Learn how ADRCs serve the public and how to contact your local ADRC. ADRCs help with issues that affect older adults, people with disabilities, and their families. Your ADRC makes it easy to learn about options near you and apply for programs and benefits. Their services are free if you live in Wisconsin.
- Provider Search - Use the Provider Search tool to find health and residential care providers in Wisconsin. You can filter results to show only certain types of facilities, such as home health.
- Residential Care Options by County - Access details about residential care options based on where you live. Use a map or county listing to select your county and learn more.
The Division of Quality Assurance takes routine surveys of home health agencies in Wisconsin. The goal is to make sure these agencies meet state requirements and offer quality care. These resources explain more about how home health agencies are regulated.
- Find & Compare Nursing Homes, Hospitals & Other Providers Near
You (opens external link) - Search for home health agencies, using the CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) database. See how well the home health agency follows Medicare and Medicaid requirements. Each agency also has a quality rating and patient survey rating of one to five stars. - Home Health Agencies - Learn more about how home health agencies are regulated in Wisconsin.
- Home Health and Hospice Licensure and Certification, P-63075 (PDF) - Learn more about the survey process.
- Provider Search - Use the Provider Search tool to find health and residential care providers in Wisconsin. View survey results and any citations from the past three years.
These resources can help you understand laws that protect you and your care.
- Client Rights Office - Find out how to get advice about your rights from a team of experts. This office helps people who get services for a disability, mental health, or substance use. They'll tell you more about your rights under the law, Wis. Stat. §§
51.30 (opens external link) and51.61 (opens external link) , and what they mean. - Complaints or Problems with Your Health Care - Find out how to file a complaint about your health care. Includes issues with health and residential care facilities, providers, insurance, and medical bills.
- End-of-Life Planning - Learn about how to plan for the end of life. Includes details on advance directives, do-not-resuscitate orders, privacy rights, and more.
These extra resources are for older adults or people with disabilities and caregivers.
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CaringInfo (opens external link) - Find guides and resources to help you plan ahead, care for a loved one, live with an illness, or grieve a loss. This resource is from the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. - Find Accredited
Organizations (opens external link) - See which home health agencies have earned accreditation or certification from The JointCommission (opens external link) .