Which organization accredits home health and community nursing agencies that operate outside hospitals?

• A. CARF
• B. JCAHO
• C. NLN/APHA
• D. AC-MRDD

Answer: (C)

Providing care in patients’ homes and in community settings requires standards that ensure safety, reliable care, and clear care coordination. The organization that accredits home health and community nursing agencies outside the hospital is The Joint Commission. They extend their accreditation to home health and ambulatory/community-based services, evaluating how well an agency protects patient safety, manages medications, communicates across settings, and continuously improves quality of care.

Other groups listed don’t serve as accrediting bodies for these agencies. CARF focuses mainly on rehabilitation and certain specialty programs, NLN/APHA are professional associations rather than external accrediting organizations for agencies, and AC-MRDD is not a recognized accreditor for home health agencies.