10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Home Health Agency in Denver
Choosing a home health agency is one of the most consequential decisions a family can make. You are trusting strangers to enter your home and care for someone you love. In the Denver metro area, there are over 1,100 CDPHE-licensed agencies, and the quality varies widely. Some agencies have stellar track records and deeply trained staff. Others have compliance issues, high turnover, and inconsistent care.
These 10 questions will help you separate the great agencies from the merely adequate ones. Ask every one of them before signing a service agreement.
1. Are You Licensed by the Colorado CDPHE, and Can I See Your License Number?
This is not a formality. Every home health agency in Colorado must hold an active license from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). The license specifies whether the agency is Class A (skilled nursing) or Class B (personal care), which determines what services they can legally provide.
Ask for the license number and verify it yourself through the CDPHE Health Facilities Division. You can also check for any enforcement actions, complaints, or survey deficiencies on file. Our directory displays verified license information for every listed agency, which gives you a head start.
Red flag: Any agency that hesitates to share their license number or cannot produce it quickly.
2. Is Your Agency Medicare-Certified?
This question matters if the patient may qualify for Medicare home health benefits. Only agencies with Medicare certification (also called CMS certification) can bill Medicare. In the Denver metro area, approximately 55 out of 250-plus Class A agencies hold Medicare certification.
Medicare certification also means the agency undergoes regular federal surveys and must meet quality standards set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. You can look up any Medicare-certified agency's quality ratings, patient survey results, and inspection findings on the Medicare Care Compare website.
Even if you are not using Medicare, choosing a Medicare-certified agency means you are selecting a provider that meets a higher regulatory bar.
Find a Home Health Agency in Denver
Browse our directory of CDPHE-licensed agencies, read verified reviews, and contact providers directly.
3. What Background Checks Do You Run on Caregivers?
Colorado law requires home health agencies to conduct background checks on employees, but the thoroughness varies. At minimum, ask whether the agency runs a Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) criminal background check, a national criminal database search, a sex offender registry check, a check of the Colorado CDPHE Nurse Aide Registry for any findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation, and verification of professional licenses for nurses and therapists.
Some agencies also run motor vehicle record checks (important if the caregiver will transport your loved one), drug screening, and reference checks with previous employers.
Red flag: An agency that only runs a state-level background check and no national search, or one that cannot clearly describe their screening process.
4. How Do You Train and Supervise Your Caregivers?
Ask about both initial training and ongoing education. For Class A agencies, find out how often an RN conducts supervisory visits to the home. CDPHE requires supervisory visits at least every 60 days for home health aides, but higher-quality agencies visit every 2 to 4 weeks.
For Class B agencies, ask what training caregivers receive before their first client visit. Good agencies provide training on fall prevention, dementia care techniques, infection control, emergency procedures, and client-specific care plans. Ask whether caregivers receive annual continuing education and how many hours are required.
Also ask who creates the care plan and how often it is updated. The best agencies conduct an initial in-home assessment, create a written care plan, and review it regularly with the family.
5. Will We Have Consistent Caregivers?
Continuity matters enormously, especially for clients with dementia, anxiety, or complex routines. Ask whether the agency assigns a primary caregiver to each client or rotates staff. Ask how many different caregivers you should expect to see in a typical month.
High staff turnover is one of the biggest problems in home health care nationally. Agencies with better pay, benefits, and working conditions tend to retain caregivers longer, which directly translates to more consistent care for clients.
Ask directly: What is your annual caregiver turnover rate? An agency with turnover below 40 percent is doing well. Above 60 percent is concerning.
6. What Happens If Our Regular Caregiver Calls Out?
Every agency deals with sick days, emergencies, and no-shows. What separates good agencies from bad ones is their backup plan. Ask how much advance notice you will receive if your regular caregiver is unavailable. Ask whether the agency guarantees a replacement or simply cancels the visit. Ask whether backup caregivers will have access to your loved one's care plan before arriving.
Some agencies maintain a float pool of per-diem caregivers specifically for coverage situations. Others scramble to find replacements, leaving families without care.
Red flag: An agency that admits they sometimes cannot fill shifts and offers a refund instead of a backup caregiver.
7. What Is Your Complaint and Incident Resolution Process?
Problems will arise. What matters is how the agency handles them. Ask whether there is a designated person or department that handles complaints. Ask about the expected response time. Ask whether complaints are documented and tracked. Ask whether you will receive a written resolution.
A quality agency will have a clear, written grievance procedure and will be willing to walk you through it. Colorado CDPHE regulations require agencies to maintain a complaint process and inform clients of their right to file complaints with CDPHE directly.
Also ask whether the agency has had any CDPHE complaints or enforcement actions in the past two years, and how they were resolved.
8. What Exactly Does Your Pricing Include?
Get the full picture in writing before signing anything. Ask about the hourly rate and whether it varies by time of day, weekend, or holiday. Ask about minimum visit length and whether you are charged for the minimum even if the visit is shorter. Ask about any additional fees such as assessment fees, care plan fees, after-hours surcharges, mileage charges, or cancellation penalties.
For Class A agencies billing insurance, ask about your expected copay or coinsurance and whether the agency will bill insurance directly.
Request a written service agreement that itemizes all costs. Compare pricing from at least 3 agencies before making a decision. In our directory, you can contact multiple agencies directly to request quotes.
9. What Insurance Plans Do You Accept?
This question can save you thousands of dollars. Ask specifically whether the agency accepts Medicare (for Class A agencies), Medicaid and Health First Colorado, HCBS waiver programs (EBD, SLS, CMHS, CES), and your private insurance plan by name.
For Medicaid waiver services, ask whether the agency is currently enrolled as a waiver provider with the appropriate Single Entry Point agency. Not all licensed agencies are enrolled in every waiver program.
If the agency does not accept your insurance, ask whether they offer a superbill that you can submit to your insurer for out-of-network reimbursement.
10. Can You Provide References From Current Clients?
A reputable agency should be willing to connect you with families who can share their experience. Ask for 2 to 3 references, ideally from clients with similar care needs (for example, dementia care or post-surgical recovery).
When speaking with references, ask how long they have used the agency, whether caregivers are consistent, how the agency handled any problems, and whether they would recommend the agency to a friend.
You can also check online reviews. Our directory features verified reviews from real families, which can give you additional perspective beyond the references the agency selects.
Bonus: Questions to Ask Yourself
Beyond evaluating the agency, consider your own family's needs. How many hours per week of care does your loved one need? Does your loved one need Class A skilled nursing, Class B personal care, or both? What is your budget, and have you explored all insurance and benefit options? Are there specific language needs? Some agencies in the Denver area offer bilingual care in Spanish and other languages. What neighborhoods does the agency serve? A provider based in Castle Rock may not regularly serve clients in Thornton.
Start Your Search
The Denver metro area has no shortage of home health agencies, but finding the right one takes research. Use our directory to browse agencies by license class, specialty, neighborhood, and insurance accepted. Read reviews from real families, compare services, and contact agencies directly to ask these questions.
Taking the time to ask the right questions upfront can prevent problems, protect your loved one, and give your family peace of mind.
