A records clerk does not start with the name on the front window. The name on the sign, the name on the agency website, the name on the Google listing, and the name on the license or registration may all differ. Each one is a claim until a file confirms it. This guide shows how to line them up before you compare any two agencies.

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Step one: write down every name you see

Open the agency website, its Google listing, its paperwork, and any estimate or agreement you have. Copy each name exactly as it appears, including punctuation such as LLC, Inc., or Home Care. Beside each name, write the street address and the phone number. Mark where each line came from, whether the agency, Google, or a public file, so you always know which lines are editorial and which came from a record.

Step two: match each name to a public file

Use the federal lookups for Medicare-certified home health agencies, and use the state listing for non-medical home care. The two are separate categories, so search the right one for the service you are buying. Search by address first, then by phone number, then by name. An address match under a different name usually means a trade name, a former name, or a sister company. Write down which search found each match. For the steps, see how to check any home health agency in five federal lookups, and for the category question see home health versus non-medical home care: which record to check.

Step three: sort the mismatches

A mismatch is not automatically a warning. Sort each one into a pile.

  • Same address, different trade name: ask the agency which legal entity holds the license or registration, and where the trade name is filed.
  • Same name, different address: ask whether the office moved, or whether another branch is answering the phone.
  • No match in any file: do not judge this agency on its stars or its website until the paper is found.

Step four: check the stars against the right name

A listing star rating belongs to the listing, not to the file. If the listing name differs from the name on the license, the reviews may describe a former owner, a different office, or a franchise. Note which name the reviews use. The lists from the Google pull are useful for building a shortlist, but they do not settle who holds the license. Those lists are editorial sorting, and the files are the record.

Questions to ask the agency

  • What is the exact legal name on your license or registration?
  • Do you operate under any other trade name, and where is that name filed?
  • Has this office changed owners or names in the last few years, and if so, what were the earlier names?
  • Who is the contact for the license, and can you give that contact to me in writing?
  • Which phone line rings after hours, and which company answers it?

What to hand the family

Give the family a single sheet with four columns: the legal name, the trade name, the address, and the file where each was found. Add one final line for any open question. Keep the sheet in the household binder so the next person who calls the agency starts from the same names. The sheet records what the files show and what remains unconfirmed. It does not replace a question to the agency or a call to the state, and it does not settle any question about care, which belongs with the family and the family's doctor.