(a) Not later than seven calendar days after the date on which a homemaker-companion agency commences providing homemaker services or companion services, such agency shall provide the person who receives the services, or the authorized representative of such person, with a written contract or service plan that prescribes the anticipated scope, type, frequency, duration and cost of the services provided by the agency. In addition, any contract or service plan provided by a homemaker-companion agency to a person receiving services shall also provide conspicuous notice, in boldface type (1) of the person's right to request changes to, or review of the contract or service plan, (2) of the employees of such agency who, pursuant to section 20-678 are required to submit to a comprehensive background check, (3) that upon the request of such person or an authorized representative of such person, such agency shall provide such person or representative of such person with written notice that a comprehensive background check, as required pursuant to section 20-678, was performed for all employees of such agency performing services for such person, (4) that such agency's records are available for inspection or audit by the Department of Consumer Protection, (5) that the agency is not able to guarantee the extent to which its services will be covered under any insurance plan, and (6) that such contract or service plan may be cancelled at any time by the client if such contract or service plan does not contain a specific period of duration. No contract or service plan for the provision of homemaker or companion services shall be valid against the person who receives the services or the authorized representative of such person, unless the contract or service plan has been signed by a duly authorized representative of the homemaker-companion agency and the person who receives the services or the authorized representative of such person. The requirements of this section shall not apply to homemaker services or companion services provided under the Connecticut home-care program for the elderly administered by the Department of Social Services in accordance with section 17b-342. A written contract or service plan between a homemaker-companion agency and a person receiving services or the authorized representative of such person shall not be enforceable against such person receiving services or authorized representative unless such written contract or service plan contains all of the requirements of this section.

(b) Nothing in this section shall preclude a homemaker-companion agency that has complied with subdivisions (1) to (6), inclusive, of subsection (a) of this section from the recovery of payment for work performed based on the reasonable value of services which were requested by the person receiving services, provided the court determines that it would be inequitable to deny such recovery.

(P.A. 06-187, S. 61; P.A. 13-88, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 13-88 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and amended same to make technical changes, add provision re conspicuous, boldface type notice, add Subdivs. (3) and (5) re written notice of comprehensive background check and that agency is not able to guarantee insurance coverage, redesignate existing Subdiv. (3) as Subdiv. (4), add Subdiv. (6) re cancellation of contract or service plan at any time if it does not contain a specific duration and add provision re contract or service plan not to be enforceable if it does not contain all requirements of section, and added Subsec. (b) re homemaker-companion agency recovery of payment for work performed based on reasonable value of services, effective January 1, 2014.

The plain language is clear that section does not provide an exception to the requirement that home care contracts be in writing. 172 CA 182.