The first thing you need to determine when choosing in-home health care is the level of help needed. Our loved ones, whether family or friends, have different needs and require different levels of care.
Most in-home health care agencies offer varying levels of care depending on needs. For example, some seniors need skilled care that’s provided by medical caregivers like nurses, physical therapists, and others. The other type of care is provided by custodial providers. For those seniors who need cleaning, shopping, housekeeping, meal preparation, and other personal care, in-home health care agencies offer caregivers who can meet those needs.
Let’s look at what you need to know when choosing in-home health care.
Questions to ask
When evaluating in-home health care agencies, ask the following questions.
- How long have you been providing in-home health care services?
- Can you explain what the government covers versus what must be paid out-of-pocket?
- What range of services do you provide?
- What special services do you provide such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and more?
- Can you meet special needs such as language or cultural preferences, etc.?
- What specific in-home services do you provide?
- Do you perform background checks?
- What training and education do you offer your caregivers?
- Do you require nurses and other medical professionals to adhere to a care plan? For example, do care providers need to communicate with physicians and other specialists to determine a care plan?
- Do you require your caregivers to include family in the approved care plan?
- Who is involved in care plan changes?
- What kind of documentation do you provide that defines the care being received today and the future specific tasks to be carried out?
- Do you have supervisors who oversee every patient’s care plan?
- How do you follow up with and resolve problems, whether with a specific patient or their family members?
- Can family members contact the caregivers with specific questions or to solve problems?
- Does the agency provide written statements of the cost, changes to services, and payment plan options for in-home care services?
- How do you, the patient, and the caregiver handle emergencies?
- Do you have specialists available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to help you resolve issues, and handle emergencies that seem to crop up during off-hours?
- Are your caregivers available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to handle emergencies that crop up? Can you cover or guarantee residents who need off-peak assistant and coordination?
- How does the agency follow up with and solve problems? How do they make sure caregivers are providing services while responding to patients’ changing needs?
Final thoughts
Always request a full complement of references. You want to be able to check with doctors and physicians, patient and family members, and even those in the community where the in-home agency provides care. Do each of these members refer individuals to this in-home care agency? But more importantly, do these referrals have a contractual relationship with the agency? And if you do, do you require a level or standard of care before you work with in-home agencies?
Most importantly, what are clients saying about this in-home health agency? Don’t be afraid to check formal sources like testimonials and informal sources like online forums, social media, and other sources for reviews and comments.
If you’re uncertain about the best scenario for your loved one, contact My Guardian at 02 9336 7555. We’ll walk through all your options and help you choose the one that best meet your preferences and your budget.
