Frequently Asked Questions
Does Your Loved One Need Assistance To Help Them Stay Independent At Home? Use This Checklist To Determine If They Need Help
Consider their care needs and make a list of things that need to be provided. Be able to show an example of a usual day, from the moment they wake up until they return to bed and be sure to include a timeline of when they have their meals, naps, and other activities.
How much hands-on personal care is needed vs. the non-hands on companion care? If more companion care is needed, make a list of things that the care recipient likes to do.
Do you need someone who can escort the care recipient to their Doctor and other social activities? If so, how will they travel? Will the Caregiver drive the care recipient in the care recipient’s car? Will the Caregiver drive the care recipient in the Caregiver’s car? Has the homecare agency verified the caregiver’s vehicle insurance is active. Will they take public transportation (bus or taxi cab)? Some cities provide transportation for seniors – you may want to call your local Department on Aging for information.
Is there memory loss? If so, have you had the type of Memory Loss diagnosed (Alzheimer’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Pick’s Disease, Frontal Lobe Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia, Lewy Body Disease, Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, Vascular Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease)? Blood clots and brain tumors may also cause dementia. A diagnosis of dementia type will help the agency to better understand the care needs and assign a Caregiver with the right type of training and qualifications.
Do you need a Caregiver who speaks a certain language, Let us know what you want and we will make every effort to accommodate your request.
How many hours of care per day will you require? Review the list of services you will need performed during the care visit and decide on the minimum number of hours per day which would work as a starting point. The agency will need to know the hours of service to assign a Caregiver and will allow you to adjust the hours after the first week to accurately meet the care needs.
Are there any special cooking requirements? Communicate any food allergies or specific cooking requests and consider how groceries will be purchased or delivered if the care recipient is unable to shop for groceries on their own.
Are there any “skilled” care requirements, such as taking blood pressure, blood sugar testing, wound care or a feeding tube? Communicate if these specialized services will need to be performed or monitored.
What is the care recipients method for managing medications? Do you know for sure if the medications are currently being taken correctly? Be able to provide a list of medications and the method of monitoring so the Agency will be aware of possible side effects and other requirements such as taking pills with or without food, etc.
A Checklist To Help You Choose A Quality And Safe Homecare Agency
- Business license and necessary state licensure (if required by the state where the agency is located)
- Caregivers are “Employees” (this means the Agency is responsible for paying all employee payroll taxes, as required by law: Unemployment Insurance tax, Social Security tax, Medicare tax and State and Federal with-holdings)
- Worker’s Compensation Insurance
- Professional Liability Insurance
- Fidelity Bond Insurance (this is sometimes referred to as “theft” insurance)
- Active Management of the Caregiver through a direct Supervisor or Manager
- Plan of Care
- Criminal Background Check performed on all Employees
- Training for Caregivers
- 24-Hour On-Call Service
- Satisfactory Customer Ratings
- Caregivers check-in and out via a phone app that validates the Caregiver is at the client’s home
- Family members can login to a website portal to monitor the care being provided to their family member
These Checklist requirements are especially valuable when no family members live close enough to monitor the care. By having these standards in place, if the Caregiver suffers an accident while working in the senior’s home, their injuries and care are covered by Worker’s Compensation Insurance. Active supervision of Caregivers allows the agency to professionally work through any performance issues. A 24-hour On-Call service allows for last-minute schedule changes and back-up Caregivers to be scheduled, when necessary. Training programs provide Caregivers with guidelines to follow for performing quality care duties.
In addition, the Caregiver is protected by Unemployment Insurance if they are not staffed between assignments and meet the necessary qualifications. Caregivers also have the guarantee of receiving Medicare and Social Security benefits when they retire because they have paid into these programs as an employee of the agency.
We are committed to:
- recruiting, training, and retaining competent staff
- valuing, supporting, recognizing, and appreciating our staff who are our greatest asset
- providing a work environment that encourages personal enjoyment and enhances job satisfaction and performance through recognition and reward
- developing and maintaining positive relationships with the community, including local Homecare and Health Care personnel/organizations
- conducting our business in an accountable and responsible manner
- adhering to the professional code of ethics of the Homecare industry and applying continuous quality improvement measures throughout our Agency
- Respite Care
- Mobility Assistance