Are the requirements the same for a non nursing homecare vs. nursing homecare agency ?

I am a registered nurse in Delaware and I want to start a companion care agency to assist the elderly in their homes ie. assistance with meal preparation, laundry, light housekeeping, medication reminders, bathing etc. I will require background checks, criminal abuse check (child and adult). I am not interested in medicare patients at this time. only private pay. I do know that medicare requires an extensive amount of redtape in order to get approved. I am wondering if the same redtape is there with non nursing services.

I'm surprised being a nurse you don't know but !.You need a business license but since you will not be providing nursing services the requirements for a nursing service will not apply to you. You will probably have to get your employees bonded because they'll be going into homes,they'll have to have negative TB test results which you have to have on file-all health workers are required to have that,you will also want to have some Aids and blood borne pathogen diseases training and CPR-Adult and Firs Aid adult. The TB,CPR and First Aid Training is the responsibility of the employee to get.doctor or health dept for TB and Can,among other get from Red Cross and YM or YWCA
CPR/First Aid certification but you need to keep copies that are current on file. A background check-state-is a seminal check but if you wish to go further then YOU have to submit fingerprint cards to State BI and hey do then nationwide-but takes several mos for the results. Good luck with your venture.

The requirements are not the same. Homecare can be medical or non-medical, it sounds like you are interested in non-medical. Most homecare is private pay these days...you are better off anyway. Medicare restricts the # of visits and of course there is precert, medical necessity etc. I think a companion agency is a great idea, my friend and I are thinking about something along the same line. We were thinking of Nursing care of nurses, who need help or care, we are both nurses