The Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging announced it was awarded Case Management Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for the following programs: PASSPORT and Assisted Living, Ohio Home Care Waiver, and Specialized Recovery Services.

“The Area Agency on Aging’s mission is to support individual choice, independence, and dignity, and the NCQA accreditation allows us to demonstrate how we deliver on our mission by being efficient, being effective with person-centered care that meets people’s needs,” Diane Ramey, chief clinical officer of the Area Agency on Aging, said.

NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving healthcare quality. Earning NCQA’s LTSS accreditation demonstrates that an organization is dedicated to coordinating the delivery of care in a person-centered and integrated manner to help individuals function optimally in their preferred setting.

NCQA accreditation standards are developed with input from researchers in the field, the LTSS Advisory Committee and standing committees, both purchasers and operators of LTSS programs, state and federal regulators, and other experts. The standards are set high to encourage organizations coordinating LTSS to continuously enhance the quality of services they deliver and are intended to help organizations achieve the highest level of performance possible, increase adherence to care guidelines, and create an environment of continuous improvement.

The accreditation of Case Management for LTSS Program is organized into eight standards: program description, patient identification and assessment, person-centered care planning and monitoring, care transitions, measurement and quality improvement, staffing, training and verification, rights and responsibilities, and delegation.

“We have a long history of providing quality care, and to receive our NCQA accreditation for case management long-term services and support further validates this,” said Duana Patton, the chief executive officer of the Area Agency on Aging. “We value a culture of efficiency, and providing integrated care and person-centered care is a cornerstone of who we are.”

Submitted by the Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging.