Quality information posted on Medicare's web site, "Home Health Compare," will enable consumers to make more informed decisions on home health care

Circle of Friends has announced that it has joined the national Home Health Quality Initiative to further improve the quality of care received by the 3.5 million elderly and disable Americans who receive care from nearly 7,000 Medicare certified home health agencies nationwide annually. The initiative gives consumers the ability to now gain easy access to important, objective healthcare information to help make more informed decisions when choosing a home health care provider for themselves or a loved one.

The data is part of a new Home Health Quality Initiative of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a federal agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, designed to improve quality of care provided by home health agencies through public reporting and community based efforts.

"As a partner in this quality initiative, we recognize the opportunity to work collaboratively with the Iowa Foundation for Medical care will expand our knowledge and resources to help us achieve greater and more immediate improvement in our services," said Amanda Schroeder, R.N. of Circle of Friends. "And as a leading provided of home health care in Iowa, we are committed to providing the best possible quality of care for our consumers."

The Home Health Quality Initiative releases new quality data give senior and their families comparative information about home health agencies' quality of care, and through its participation, Circle of Friends is further illustrating it commitment to offering the highest quality of home health care in Iowa. Consumers can obtain the comparative data by going on-line at www.medicare.gov and clicking on Home Health Compare. They can also request information by calling toll-free at 1-800-MEDICARE.

"A key step towards improving quality is getting consumers the information they need to make informed health care choices," said Schroeder. "As a leading provider of home health services in Iowa, we are committed to the best possible quality of care and are actively involved in this initiative."

Consumers are encouraged to use this information as one tool in an overall strategy to learn about home health care. Additional information available on-line or by phone includes brochures and fact sheets on how to choose a home health agency, information on patient rights, and a checklist hat will help consumers begin the dialogue with a home health agency.