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Bringing Your Own Clients to a Company: What Illinois Home Care Rules Say · Home Care Powered By AUAF

• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: Today, we're talking about bringing your own clients to a home care company in Illinois.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Elena.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm Brooks.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_01: This one comes up a lot, Elena.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_01: Someone is already helping an older neighbor or a parent, and they ask whether they can just bring that person along to an agency.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: And in regular business, that happens all the time.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: A worker changes jobs and a few customers follow.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: But home care under the Illinois Community Care Program works differently.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_01: Why is that?
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: Because the person receiving care is a participant in a state program.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: So the program's rules decide who provides the care, not the caregiver and not the agency.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_01: So who actually chooses?
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: The participant does.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: Section 240.330 of the state program rules protects that freedom of choice.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: No caregiver and no agency can move a participant, and nobody should ask a participant to leave a provider.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_01: What if a participant really does want a different provider?
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: Then they ask their care coordination unit, the CCU.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: The CCU handles that request and the paperwork.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: And because of that, an agency can't promise which caregiver, which days, or which hours someone will have after a change.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_01: That's an important point.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: It's not something anyone can promise ahead of time.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: Now, agencies do handle the business side for their aids: payroll, insurance, and liability coverage, and the required records.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: So a senior looking for care can ask any agency how it handles insurance and liability.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, let's talk about the most common situation.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_01: Somebody is already caring for a parent or a relative for free.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: What then?
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: In that case, the person you're helping isn't your client.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Instead, they can apply for the community care program themselves.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: Who qualifies?
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: According to the Illinois Department on Aging, the person must be 60 or older and live in Illinois.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: Non-exempt assets must be$17,500 or less.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: That figure was checked in October 2026.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: And a needs assessment shows how much care is needed.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_01: There was also a change this fall, right?
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: Since October 1st, 2026, only U.S.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: citizens and certain eligible non-citizens qualify.
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_00: That comes from an Illinois Department on Aging memo dated September 17, 2026.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: Families affected by that change can ask their local area agency on aging about other help.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_01: And for people who do qualify?
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: The CCU builds a plan of care.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: And this is the key line.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: Eligibility, services, and hours are decided by your care coordination unit.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: So here's the question people really want answered.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_01: Can the person they care for choose them as their aid?
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: Often, yes.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: The Department on Aging's in-home service rules say providers may hire a family member, a friend, a neighbor, or a legal guardian who meets the qualifications.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: A preferred aid like that is often called an HCA of choice.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_01: Are there limits?
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: There are.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: A spouse, a power of attorney, or a representative payee needs one more step.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: The CCU must document extraordinary care in the plan of care.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: And not every provider hires family members, so that's worth knowing.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_01: What does an HCA of choice actually agree to?
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: Quite a bit.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: First, criminal history and registry checks before hiring.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: Then, 24 hours of training before starting, and yearly training after that.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: And supervision?
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Regular visits and check-ins from the agency.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: Plus, electronic visit verification at every visit, so each shift is recorded.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_01: What kind of tasks are we talking about?
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: Non-medical help only, and never overnight care.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_01: When does the pay actually start?
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: People ask about that a lot.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Paid care starts only after the CCU paperwork is complete and the agency hires you.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: There's no back pay for care given earlier.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: And an aide who lives with the participant may get fewer hours for shared household chores.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_01: Good to be clear on that.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: Now, some caregivers think, why not just start my own agency instead?
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: That's a different path, with its own rules.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: In Illinois, any home care business, including a non-medical one, must be licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: How do people know which license they need?
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: The IDPH Licensing FAQ points applicants to the state agency code to find the license that fits their services.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: So a home health care business and an elderly home care business may need different licenses.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: And how long does licensing take?
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: As of October 2026, IDPH first issues a provisional license for 240 days.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: Then it surveys the agency on site.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_01: So it takes real time and compliance work.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: It does.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: And even then, a new agency can't take participants from another provider.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: Each participant keeps the right to choose, so every agency earns trust on its own.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_01: Let me sum it up.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_01: Caregivers can't bring or transfer clients.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_01: The participant chooses.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_01: And if you already care for a loved one, they can apply and ask for you as their aid.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: That's it.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: The full article is on homecareaid.com if you want the details and the sources.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_01: And remember, this is general information, not personal legal or financial advice.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_01: For your own situation, talk with your care coordination unit or the right professional.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: This episode uses AI generated host voices.