FAQs about How To Start A Home Care Agency

Q: What is “non-medical” or “in-home” care?

A: “Non-medical” or "in-home" care typically refers to companion and personal care activities such as bathing, grooming, dressing, as well as assistance with meal preparation, light housekeeping, and running errands. It could also include medication reminders, assistance with ambulation, and transportation to medical appointments. These types of services are typically provided by Home Health Aides (HHAs) or Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), and can be arranged for anywhere from a few hours to 24-hours a day. “Non-medical” care is often sought by the elderly, new and expectant parents, individuals with disabilities, and those transitioning from a hospital or medical facility to home.

Q: What is “skilled” or “medical” home care or "home health" care?

A: “Skilled” medical care follows a specific plan of care under the supervision of a Physician, Nurse (RN/LPN/LVN), or Therapist, and involves home healthcare services such as nursing care, physical, occupational, speech, and respiratory therapies, as well as social services and hospice care. Skilled medical care provides a comforting solution to residing at home, in a hospital, nursing home, or assisted living community. Skilled medical care can be delivered by home health agency.

Q: Do I need a license to operate a Home Care Agency?

A: Almost all states require non-medical home care agencies to get licensed before opening their doors for business. GPiCare will assist you with this process. You will be responsible for filing fees and meeting all licensing requirements. It usually takes 4 months to get a license. The costliest and the most time-consuming states are California, Florida, Texas, New York, and Georgia. If you live in one of those four states, you will need to budget around $8,000 for your licensing and 6 months to get through the process. In Virginia, home care license covers both – non-medical home care and skilled or home health care services and it takes 6 months to get the license.

Q: Can I start a Home Care Agency on my own?

A: You can, but it might take you a very long time and will cost you much more at the end in terms of wasted time and money. We strongly recommend getting a professional help whether with the entire process of taking your agency off the ground or at least with the most complicated parts of the startup process. You might need a professional help with licensing, state regulations, and documents in compliance with the law. You must get some training about home care business operations.

Q: What costs do I need to consider to start a Home Care Agency on my own?

A: You would need to develop your home care agency business plan. You would spend $4,000 - $5,000 to get a quality web site, brochures, business cards, logo, etc. and you would need to create all the content yourself which usually takes many hours of time and excellent writing skills. You would need to purchase policies/procedures and legal documents that have stood the test of time, not just online purchased templates, but documents created by business contract attorney's that charge on average $300/hr. Cost for this is $5,000 - $15,000 depending on the level of involvement the attorneys have.

Q: How to Start a Home Care Agency with GPiCare?

A: You will need to create a legal entity. We will provide you with all legal documents for your Limited Liability Company (LLC) before applying for your license. An LLC usually takes 2 weeks to create in most states. You must receive your "Articles of Organization" from your state before your legal entity is officially completed and approved. Then, we will put together your business plan and provide your Policies and Procedures in preparation for licensing and operations. We will file for your state license and prepare you for the survey. This means that you will want to put down your deposit with GPiCare 4-5 months before you plan on opening your doors for business. You need to get all the tasks completed so you are not waiting on them after you receive your license.

Q: Will you provide training on how to start and operate a Home Care Business?

A: Yes. Our training program and support staff will get you started quickly and easily. You will learn everything you need to know about how to start and run your home care business. We will continue supporting your Home Care Agency after starting your operations, providing training and coaching on your demand.

Q: How much should a Home Care Agency make per patient to be profitable?

A: Your income per patient varies widely depending on the type of services you provide, duration, and frequency of services. However, you need to keep your Net Margin around 30% per patient to maintain your business profitability, regardless of what services you provide. Profitability is a very important question especially for someone who is starting a new business. GPiCare will  educate  you about Home Care pricing strategy and business profitability.

Q: How much would I need to pay to start a Home Care Agency with GPiCare?

A: Our Home Care Agency packages start from $2,000. Your total cost would never exceed $20,000 for financing startup and initial operating and marketing expenses after opening your business. And remember, no territory restrictions and no ongoing fees. You will keep ALL the money your earn.

Working with GPiCare, you will become the owner of your Home Care Agency for a One-Time Fee. That’s it, No Ongoing Fees!