Allentown, PA – In its ongoing effort under Secretary Jason Kavulich to increase transparency and accountability to better protect older adults, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA) announced today a web-based platform called C-Screen that directly screens, verifies, and rates the hiring practices of in-home care provider agencies that contract with Pennsylvania’s aging network.
Currently, Pennsylvania’s 52 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) are in the process of piloting the new tool. Through this partnership, the local aging agencies will also have the option to publicly share provider ratings on C-Screen. This added transparency is designed to build trust in in-home care services, empower families and their loved ones to make informed decisions, and help safeguard older adults from abuse, neglect, and fraud.
“Older adults deserve to be able to make informed decisions when seeking in-home services. Individuals who provide this level of care often see an older adult during personal or vulnerable tasks such as bathing, dressing and getting out of bed. These interactions require trust, safety and dignity from the care provider,” said Secretary Kavulich. “We’re proud to partner with C-Screen to further strengthen transparency and accountability of in-home care providers while ensuring older adults in all 67 counties in the Commonwealth are protected by the same high-quality standards they expect and need.”
C-Screen will allow the AAAs to request, review and track screening data and support decisions related to provider contacting and monitoring. It also creates a consistent structure for ongoing quality assurance. There are currently 16 local aging agencies using C-Screen including Lehigh, which now requires a verified C-Screen rating for all new provider contacts.
“C-Screen represents an important step forward in protecting Pennsylvania’s older adults. By bringing transparency to provider screening practices, we’re giving families and consumers greater confidence when choosing who delivers care in their homes. This tool not only strengthens accountability among our service providers but also reinforces our shared commitment to safety, trust, and quality care for older adults in our community,” said JR Reed, Executive Director, Lehigh County Office of Aging and Adult Services.
INVESTMENTS TO PROTECT AND CARE FOR OLDER ADULTS
The new web-based platform is part of the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of Pennsylvania’s rapidly growing older adult population and making certain the Commonwealth remains a place where they can thrive in their golden years.
Earlier this year, the Department officially launched its new Comprehensive Aging Performance Evaluation, or CAPE. This innovative tool transforms the Department’s prior monitoring approach into a more holistic philosophy, where each of Pennsylvania’s 52 AAAs is evaluated for different performance metrics – like protective services – during a singular monitoring review instead of over a course of multiple visits, with the ultimate goal of ensuring older adults are protected and safe in their communities.
CAPE represents the first major overhaul and upgrade of the Department’s monitoring system in decades. In April, for the first time ever, PDA began posting performance results on its website for AAAs monitored under CAPE. There are currently 14 AAAs covering 24 counties posted on the website, with more being added.
In May, PDA launched the PA CareKit – a resource to support the Commonwealth’s unpaid caregivers including spouses and adult children. The development of the PA CareKit was a top aging priority in Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2024-25 budget and is the result of year one of implementing Aging Our Way, PA – a 10-year multi-sector plan to improve Pennsylvania’s infrastructure of aging services.
The National Alliance for Caregiving, the National Academy for State Health Policy, and ADvancing States have praised the PA CareKit, which offers an array of personalized and tailored resource guides, and resources for families to evaluate and select professional caregivers.
Visit the Department of Aging’s website to learn about the supports and services available for older Pennsylvanians