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Home Care Information and Resources for Providers

We’re ready to partner with you to support families who care for children and youth who require skilled in-home nursing.

Since the mid-1980s, we’ve operated the Home Care Program on behalf of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS).This program supports families who care for loved ones who are medically fragile and require skilled in-home nursing care. Many of our participants also depend on technology for their well-being.

The Home Care Program helps youth remain in their family home through care coordination provided by nurses and social workers employed by the Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC). Our care coordinators do many things to help support families, such as helping find resources, connecting to service providers, paying for home modifications, accompanying parents to medical appointments, attending Individualized Education Program meetings, assisting with the transition to adult services, etc.

Below you’ll find additional information about Home Care and helpful links for providers who provide in-home nursing and durable medical equipment services.

  • Physician Letter of Medical Necessity Examples
    Physicians must provide current medical reports and details necessary to support the need for in-home nursing and Home Care services for our participants. We developed these sample letters of medical necessity for home nursing to help physicians in this process.
  • Guidance on Home Medical Supplies During COVID-19 Outbreak 
    Adequate quantities of home medical supplies are essential to safely care for technology-dependent children at home during the COVID-19 crisis. Families should consider cleaning and re-using supplies when safely possible in case there’s a future shortage of critical items.
  • Home Care Referral Card
    We need your help to identify eligible children and obtain support documentation.
  • Maintaining Care Handout for Home Care Participants 
    Families, healthcare providers, funding resources and others all have important responsibilities and expectations to fulfill once the child is transitioned home.
  • DSCC Home Medical Equipment Suppliers 
    Map of DSCC-approved and non-approved HME suppliers.
  • DSCC Nursing Agencies
    See a list of DSCC-approved home nursing agencies.
  • Provider Notices
    See a list of recent and past notices to Home Care providers.
  • Home Care Rate Table
    Find the latest rate information for Medicaid waiver services.
  • NurseNet
    Nursing agencies enrolled with DSCC can log in to NurseNet and enter all areas of the state where they have nurses available. Nursing agencies can also see where families have nursing needs and connect with those families to provide nursing care.
  • EVV Information and Resources
    Helpful information for providers on Illinois’ electronic visit verification (EVV).
  • Video on How to Handle Trach Emergencies
    Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago developed this video to help parents, caregivers and others know how to handle emergency situations with pediatric tracheostomy patients.