County Opts to Retain Private Home Care Provider

CREST HAVEN – Freeholders tabled a resolution, April 26 that would have ended the county’s use of Ocean City-based Home Care Specialists after the firm’s principles told the board they had only been notified of the proposed action via email earlier in the day, and felt that sudden termination was unfair. 
As explained by Purchasing Agent Kevin Lare at the afternoon caucus, the tabled resolution would have terminated the county contract “for cause” with Home Care Specialists to provide certified home health aides and homemaker care services for the Department of Social Services.
“I don’t know what the cause is,” objected Edwin Sheppard, managing member of Home Care Specialists.
Freeholder Kristine Gabor, who oversees the Department of Human Services, after weighing both sides of the matter, urged the board to table the resolution. She said “I need to give them the benefit of the doubt. However, first and foremost, my responsibility is to the people who are in need who are getting these services, at least make sure they are provided on a daily basis and get the services they need. I am always concerned that services are not being provided in some manner. I also have a lot of trust in my staff as well. That being said, I think it would be in the best interest of everyone, as long as you can continue to provide services to the people we are obligated to provide that we should take this under consideration and table it.”
“Unequivocally, yes,” replied Sheppard whether the firm could provide services as it had done for the past two years.
To ensure care is provided, the board awarded an open-ended emergency contract to Atlantic Cape Home Care to provide certified home health aides and homemaker care services, on behalf of the Department of Social Services, should those services be required, until Dec. 31, 2016.
County Counsel James Arsenault told the board “The only caveat I can offer, I don’t believe either Ms. (Sara) Maloney (director of Social Service) or Mr. (Kevin) Lare would have made the recommendation terminating the contract for the second resolution that provided gap services if they didn’t believe there  had  been a documented history of deficiencies. If they are correct and there has been a gap in service, I would suggest it is appropriate to table the resolution terminating the contract with H.C.S. and adopting the resolution for gap services if they are necessary.” He added there is a two week gap between that time and the next freeholder meeting.
Ed Sheppard, son of Edwin Sheppard, who said he deals with the staffing of home care specialists, assured the board all 29 clients “will receive services under this contract. I am the one who is responsible for doing that. We were doing it right up until today until I received a phone call from Mr. Arsenault.”
He added that he notified some clients while others were hospitalized, thus he could not contact them.
“We will provide home care to everyone who is in their home as we have been doing. As I have been doing, I will be in contact with Sue Sheets whenever someone does not answer my call,” said the younger Sheppard.
He said there had been times when he had been given an incorrect telephone number, and wondered if those were among the deficiencies being cited for the threatened contract termination.
“I will have to say, we don’t make decisions like this lightly,” said Gabor. “Ms. Maloney and Kevin Lare would not make a recommendation unless they felt that it was necessary. So, I need to give everyone the benefit of the doubt here.”