While researching non medical home care agencies, be prepared with six essential questions you MUST ask a prospective agency before hiring them.
1. You certainly want to ask if the company conducts background checks. They should be conducted on a national level too. You want to make sure that the company conducts a background check that goes beyond just the state. They need to make sure the employees they hire having committed any sexual offenses or elder abuse too. The background check needs to be very thorough.
2. “Make sure you learn about their hiring practices too. In our agency we see someone THREE separate times before hiring them. Therefore, make sure that you hire an agency that interviews applicants multiple times before they send the person in people’s homes.
3. “Does my loved one get to meet and approve of the caregiver before he or she starts?” A good quality home care agency is one that brings out the selected care giver and lets the client approve of the selection before service begins. No one wants to feel like they have no control over their own situation. It is also good to have the two meet so they can “break the ice” before the first day of service.
4. “Can we stop service at any time without a penalty?” You shouldn’t have to give more than one week’s notice to end the service. If your loved one is admitted to the hospital or even dies, then you certainly shouldn’t be penalized for ending the service.
5. Does your company make use of case managers? You want to hear that after you have signed on, the agency will continue to be available, accessible and interested in how things are going. Good companies will have a case manager to drop in every few weeks or so.
6. “Will you come out and do an Assessment at no charge and with no obligations?” A good home care agency should be willing to come out and sit and talk with the entire family at no charge. Sitting down and talking is one of the best ways to get to know a company. If a span of time passes between the initial assessment and when you actually are ready to start, they should come out and re do the Assessment to update any changes.
I hope this will serve as a guide when interviewing perspective home care agencies. If possible, try to form a relationship with a potential home care agency even before your loved one actually needs the services. Establishing an early relationship will be very useful if you need to make use of their services in an emergency. Doc No. 34Sdlhgsdl -sds
Kristie Brown writes on a variety of topics from health to technology. Check out her websites on home care Saint Louis Park and home care Edina MN
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