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Step 1 of Hiring a Home Health Care Agency: Crucial Questions
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If your doctor has prescribed home health care for your loved one, it's likely that he or she also provided the contact details of at least one local agency. Physicians typically maintain relationships with home health care agencies, and most patients use an agency that has been recommended by their doctor. However, you are free to explore your options and choose the agency that best fits your needs and preferences. If your loved one needs help with household chores or transportation to and from appointments, it may be more cost-effective to hire homecare in addition to home health care. Gilbert Guide also provides information on working with homecare agencies.
Your Personal Needs
Before calling any agencies, make a list of what the job will entail and what your expectations are for hiring a professional caregiver. Be as detailed as possible.
- When and how often does your loved one need a caregiver? Is it likely to change soon? If so, will it be a problem?
- What duties would you like the caregiver to perform and how often? List out the duties and frequency (e.g, aiding with grooming every morning and bathing every other day).
- Does your loved one need any specialized care, such as for dementia or incontinence?
The agency you choose will help you determine how many hours a week are needed as well as figuring out the best timing, but it's up to you to identify subtler personal needs. Make a note of any strong preferences that you have regarding the caregiver. Also consider the following issues:
Cultural Awareness & Sensitivity
Let the agency know if the person who will be receiving care has cultural habits or traditions, food preferences or limited English-speaking skills that need to be accommodated.
Gender
Some people may feel uncomfortable with personal care tasks being performed by a person of the opposite gender. Ask the agency if they will send a caregiver who suits your loved one's preference.
Pet Peeves
The caregiver you hire will be spending a lot of time with your loved one, so this is a significant issue. What are your loved one's pet peeves? Disorder or messiness? Smoking in the home? Bring these up when you coordinate with the agency.
Personality Traits
You want your loved one to feel comfortable around and get along well with the caregiver. Are there any personality traits that would be beneficial or detrimental for a caregiver to have in this relationship? Make your concerns known to the agency.
Questions to Ask an Agency
Before calling a home health care agency, make sure that you and your doctor have assessed your loved one's needs and know what kind of care he or she is likely to need. Home health care is usually partially paid for by Medicare, but you will need to verify that the agency is Medicare-certified. Once your loved one's needs have been determined, the agency will disclose how much of your expenses will be covered by Medicare and how much you will be expected to pay out of pocket.
See Gilbert Guide's listings to find home health care agencies in your area. When calling around, narrow your list by making sure the agency offers the following:
- Criminal background check on caregivers
- Worker's compensation insurance
- Professional liability insurance or bond
- Covers all payroll taxes
- Ongoing supervision of caregivers
- Caregiver training, especially in areas that are important for your loved one, such as dementia training
Once you narrow your choices down, the following questions will help you get a feel for the agency's protocols and management style.
- How often are caregivers checked in on by supervisors? (Weekly and as-needed checks are best.)
- Do check-ins occur over the phone, via progress reports or in person?
- How often are care plans reevaluated? (Every 30 days and as needed is best.)
- Are caregivers available 24 hours a day?
- Are supervisors on call 24 hours a day?
- If I request a new caregiver what is the longest time it will take to find a new match? (Anything over 48 hours is unreasonable.)
- How long does it take to cover a shift if my caregiver is unavailable at the last minute?
- If your rates change, how much time will I have between the time I am informed and when I will need to pay the higher price?
- When is payment due? What are my payment options?
- If my caregiver is sick, will he or she contact me directly? Will you inform me if a new caregiver will be coming?
- Will caregivers change periodically or will I most likely have the same person(s)?
Tip: Specialized Dementia Care Does your loved one require specialized care for dementia? Larger agencies can usually offer more applicants with specialized training in a variety of areas, as they have a larger pool from which to draw.
Read Step 2 of Hiring a Home Health Care Agency
Posted in: Hiring Home Health Care, Hospital Discharge, How to Find Homecare
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