What Surveyors are Really Looking For: The Top 5 Deficiencies Explained

When a surveyor walks through your doors, what are they really looking for? In this episode of Home Health Revealed, we sit down with Becky Tolson from ACHC to break down the top five deficiencies cited in home health surveys—and why they continue to show up across agencies. From plan of care and medication management to documentation habits and infection control, Becky shares what surveyors see most often, where agencies fall short, and how to fix it before it becomes a citation. If your team struggles with documentation, communication, or staying survey-ready, this episode offers practical insights to help you close the gap between care and compliance. Chapters (00:00:03) - Home Health Revealed(00:00:27) - Becky Tolson on Accreditation Commission for Healthcare(00:01:19) - What Are Surveyors Looking For in an Agency's Patient Care?(00:04:09) - Home Health Complaints: Top 5 Tags(00:08:07) - Obstructions to the Plan of Care(00:10:03) - 536 and MedPro Profile(00:11:11) - Home Health Agency Medication Documentation(00:14:14) - Care Record 7,10, Communication breakdowns and documentation(00:18:51) - Clinical Visit Notes, 3 of 4(00:27:57) - Home Visits, G682, Infection Control(00:30:52) - Home Visits: Do we Need More Citations?(00:33:51) - How to Get in Touch with ACHC on Connection Education(00:35:47) - Survivors of the Titanic