Top 10 Home Health Deficiencies and How to Address Them
Last Updated January 2026
Maintaining compliance in home health requires constant attention to assessment of accuracy, care planning, and oversight. Based on CHAP accreditation reviews conducted throughout 2025, these were the most frequently cited Home Health deficiencies, along with practical strategies to address them.
Deficiency Spotlight: Individualized Plans of Care
Plans of care must be driven by comprehensive assessment and updated as the patient’s needs change, at a minimum of once every 60 days. Deficiencies often occur when problems, interventions, and goals are not clearly linked or reviewed in a timely manner.
Quick Tip: Implement routine plan-of-care audits to confirm alignment with assessments and physician orders.
Common Challenges and Solutions
- Medication Reviews: Ensure medication reconciliation is completed during assessments and updated promptly when changes occur. Med rec is strongly recommended on every visit to ensure medication profile accuracy and safety for the patient.
- Visit Schedules: Provide patients with clear, written visit schedules, including the disciplines who will visit and when, and document receipt in the clinical record.
- Aide Supervision: Track, complete, and document supervisory visits every 14 days for patients receiving aide services.
These actions help reduce documentation gaps and improve consistency across care delivery.