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Unsafe Haven: The crisis in home health care

Journal reporters Danielle Deaver and Paul Garber investigated North Carolina's home health care system. Unlike most other systems of health care, with layers of oversight and accountability, the typical home-care agency operates with few professionals monitoring how care is delivered. It's hard to retain good caregivers when the average home-health worker makes only $8.28 an hour, or $17,210 a year.

Read their report here, get tips on finding reliable providers, and look up agencies to see if they have had any reported violations (an online exclusive).

The Series

Part One: A System Ignored and Frayed

The warning sound was so loud that Stephanie Phillipi could hear it from the driveway. It was her husband Doug's ventilator alarm. He was slowly smothering. A few feet away, the home-health worker trusted to take care of him sat with headphones on his ears — fast asleep.
» Read the article

Part Two: Making do with too little

Unlike most other systems of health care - with layers of oversight and accountability, the typical home-care agency operates with few professionals monitoring how care is delivered.
» Read the article

Part Three: The Road to Quality

Andy Hines was a mechanical engineer 10 years ago when experts in Charlotte found that his 3-year-old son had autism. Hines and his wife wanted their child to have the best treatment possible.
» Read the article

Photos and Graphics

Journal Photogallery

Graphics

» Home health violations in North Carolina

» Increasing need for home health care in North Carolina

» 2001 Medicare payments in N.C.

Case Histories

» The Aide With Criminal History

» The Aide Who Arranged a Break-in

» The Aide Accused of Abusing a Teen-Age Boy

» The Aide Who Married Her Patient

» The Aide Who Dialed Psychic Hotlines