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How do I choose the right
Senior Home Care Agency?
It is essential that you exercise good judgment when you chose an in-home senior
care provider. You should be fully informed when making the important
decision of allowing strangers into your loved ones' home.
Questions to
Ask any Home Elder Care Provider (BEFORE YOU CHOOSE!):
1.
What
services are performed?
2.
What
areas are served?
3.
What is your procedure if
we are not happy with whom you send out?
4.
Are the
Caregivers
bonded and insured?
5.
How are your employees
trained?
6. What are your back-up procedures if someone is
late or doesn't show up?
7. What is the Cost?
8.
How long have you been in business? Is
this a franchise?
9.
Who supervises
the caregivers?
10.
How is communication with the family
maintained?
11.
What hours can I contact someone from the
agency?
12. Who is the Caregiver?
Click here to print out a checklist for
interviewing agencies
(pdf file)
(Print out a sheet for each agency you
interview)
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What
services are performed?
|
ü |
Service |
ü |
Service |
|
q |
Transportation
/ Errands -
Is the caregiver able to
provide needed transportation? Will the agency
provide a current BMV report on each caregiver? |
q |
Mail
Sorting |
|
q |
Housekeeping
Chores -
Is housekeeping included in the price?
Are the caregivers going to be reluctant to do needed
chores? What chores are included? (be specific) |
q |
Help
with Bill Paying |
|
q |
Meal
Preparation -
What type of food will be
prepared? Are there any special dietary needs? Can these be
accommodated?
Will the caregiver do all of
the dishes and clean up the kitchen? |
q |
Bathing |
|
q |
Laundry
Services -
Will the caregiver do the
laundry? Will they iron if necessary? |
q |
Incontinence
Care |
|
q |
Medication
Administration -
Is the caregiver permitted to
administer pills? How is medication administration handled?
This is a state law issue. How are the pills put in the pill
container? Who does this? Who is called in the event of a
problem? |
q |
Help
with Other Services (Landscaping, etc.) |
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What
areas are served?
Will the company be able to
provide the service at your loved one's home? Do they
have caregivers in the area or are they driving from far
away? If so, do they have reliable transportation?
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What is the procedure if
we are not happy with whom they send out?
|
q |
Will
Talk to Them |
q |
Will
Remove Them |
If at any time, you are not satisfied, FOR
ANY REASON, the service should immediately remove the caregiver from service
and send a qualified individual.
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Are the Caregivers
bonded and insured?
When you allow a stranger into your home, it
pays to be careful. All
Caregivers should be fully bonded and insured. Demand
to see the certificate / insurance policy. What is their
history with employee theft? Is the company financially sound
and able to reimburse you for any theft losses? Will they do so?
Is this in the contract? Is there a contractual guarantee that
the caregiver will not, under any circumstances, receive any money
directly from the client or from the estate?
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How are the employees
trained?
|
q |
Basic
Caregiver Training |
q |
Registered Nurse Trainer |
|
q |
Meal
Preparation (Special Diets) |
q |
Dementia
Training |
|
q |
Home
& Elder Safety
Training |
q |
Monthly
Training Sessions |
How are the Caregivers trained? By
watching a video? By reading a pamphlet or training book?
By a live instructor who is certified in senior home care? Is
there any practical (hands-on) training? What continuing or
special training has the caregiver received? What state
or national certifications do they have? Demand copies.
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What happens if someone calls in, is late or doesn't
show up? What are your back-up procedures?
|
q |
Try to
find someone else |
q |
24/7 Back-Up Plan |
|
q |
Make
Excuses |
q |
Free
Service in the future |
What happens if the caregiver calls in sick or
their car breaks down?
Will someone show up as
assigned if there is inclement weather? What is the company's
responsibility if no one shows up? Does
the company have anyone on-call to come in immediately? What
if someone is late and causes you to be late for an appointment or
work? What will the company do?
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What is
the Cost?
|
q |
Hourly
Cost? |
q |
Any other costs? |
|
q |
Do
we approve all hours worked? |
q |
Is a
Deposit required? |
|
q |
Are there
any Hidden Costs? |
q |
How often
do we pay? |
In-home senior care is expensive. Most
firms charge by the hour. What is the hourly cost? What
about holidays? Is there a minimum daily number of hours? How often will you be billed? Does the
company accept credit cards? Is any money required up front?
What is this for? How is it returned? Is this in the
contract? Are there any other costs? Is there a sign-in
sheet? Is a client signature required for all hours worked?
What is done in the event of a discrepancy?
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How
long have you been in business? Is this a franchise?
|
q |
Locally
owned and operated |
q |
Franchise of a national company |
|
q |
Number
of years in business____ |
q |
Healthcare Experience____ |
Home care businesses vary in structure,
ownership and experience. Some are local "mom & pop" shops,
while others are local franchises of large national companies with a
depth of experience. Look for the local owner's experience in the
healthcare field. The key with either structure is the
caregiver that's in your house and the ability of the company to
meet your needs. Make sure to check references!!!
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Who supervises the
caregivers?
|
q |
Not
Supervised |
q |
Manager w/ Healthcare Exp. |
|
q |
Manager
with no Healthcare Exp. |
q |
Registered Nurse |
Are the staff
supervised by anyone or do they do their own thing? Visits to the house while the
caregiver is there help ensure that everything is going smoothly.
Supervision should be frequent, by someone with a healthcare
(geriatric) background, and be unexpected. A report should be
made to the family of any findings.
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How is communication with the family maintained?
|
q |
Telephone |
q |
Documentation Book |
The company should keep in contact with the
family via phone, but also by a “Care Plan Book” which is kept at
the clients’ home. This book serves as a communication tool
for families and the caregiver. The Caregiver should document
in the book daily what occurred while they were there. There should
be a place in the book for family (or the client) to write notes to
the caregiver. The book should also serve as a reference for
caregivers of who to notify in emergency, location of important
documents, care needed, personal likes and dislikes, etc.
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What
hours can I contact someone from the agency?
|
q |
Monday
through Friday |
q |
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. |
|
q |
All
week long (7 days) |
q |
24 / 7 /
365 |
The
staff should be on-call 24 hours a day.
How easy is it to reach someone from the management team? Is
there an answering service to "convince" that your
call is important? Will you get someone who is knowledgeable
about your family member? How does the agency achieve this?
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|
q |
How long
with agency? |
q |
Need 3-5 References |
|
q |
How
long in Senior Care? |
q |
Review
Criminal Report |
|
q |
What
kind of Certification? |
q |
Review BMV Report |
|
q |
Additional
training? |
q |
Check vehicle for reliability |
The caregiver should be your primary
concern. A good caregiver can work for a mediocre company
and you can still have a very good experience. The keys are
experience, a caring personality, reliability and proper training.
ALWAYS check references yourself and insist that the company
provide you with proof that the employee (that you are accepting
into your home) is not a known criminal. How much money does
the caregiver make? Are they employees or independent
contractors?
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Click here to print out a checklist for
interviewing agencies
(pdf file)
(Print out a sheet for each agency you
interview)
(Click here to download a free reader for the
pdf file)
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