A "Buyers Guide" to Home Healthcare

We understand that budget is a primary consideration when you are making arrangements for home healthcare, and it is our expectation that you will “shop around” to find the best provider at a manageable cost. As you do so, please consider the following points in order to ensure that you and your loved ones are protected and receive the best care possible.

I. Do your homework. ?Before you make your first phone call, be sure to consider thoroughly what your care needs are. ?Make sure to paint a realistic picture of the patient’s needs so that the right caregiver match can be made.

? Do you simply need a companion, or someone who can provide hands-on care?

(i.e. lifting, assistance getting into/out of the bath, etc.)?

? Do you need assistance with cooking and light housework?

? Do you need skilled medical assistance for things like blood pressure and blood sugar testing, medication administration, wound care or tube/drain/bag maintenance?

? Do you need a caregiver who can drive you to appointments or social events? If so, must they have their own car?

? Is a memory loss diagnosis (i.e. Alzheimer’s, dementia) a factor or is the patient becoming confused or forgetful?

? Do you need a caregiver trained in a specialization such as hospice care, memory loss (i.e. Alzheimer’s, dementia) or severe mobility issues?

? Do you need a caregiver that speaks a particular language or is versed in sign language??

II. Interview the agency. ?In order to protect yourself and your loved ones from potential liability, be sure to ask about and consider the following points when selecting a home care agency.

? What levels of care are available? Are you licensed for medical care or only non-medical (companion) care?

? Are your caregivers supervised by a RN? Do you have skilled staff members conduct an initial assessment before starting each engagement?

? Are all employees licensed, bonded and insured? What happens if a worker is injured in my home?

? Do you take care of taxes and withholding for your employees??

? If there is a personality conflict or other problem with a worker, can a change be made? How is this handled?

? What happens if a caregiver calls in sick or has an emergency? Will you send another worker of equal skill and experience?

? What are your rates by the hour/day? Is there a minimum number of hours that I have to commit to each day/week/month?

? Can I interview the employee(s) before I commit to using your agency?

? Do you check references? Can you give me details on the background of the caregiver? Can I get someone who has worked with a patient with a similar condition/illness?

? What happens in case of an emergency? Can your caregiver provide hands-on help (i.e. lifting, CPR, etc.), or do they have to wait for emergency services?

? How much notice will you give me if an employee is leaving or will be unavailable for an extended period of time?

? How much notice do I have to give you if I need to cancel a shift or if I wish to terminate my agreement with you altogether??

III. Helpful hints. The following are a few suggestions on ways to make the process of obtaining quality home healthcare a little easier and eliminate unwanted surprises.

? Before a new caregiver starts, write out a basic daily and weekly schedule for the patient. Be sure to include a list of likes and dislikes with respect to both foods and activities. This will make the transition much easier and less stressful for the patient and will help the caregiver get up to speed quickly.

? Remember that you are the customer – do not hesitate to express your needs and give feedback, especially if you are dissatisfied. The matching of a caregiver to a patient is as much an art as a science and clear, constructive feedback will help everyone settle in quickly.

? A note on 24-hour care. Live-in caregivers are often more convenient and cost-effective than utilizing multiple workers in 12-hour shifts. However, live-in caregivers do require some time off and private space for meals, sleeping and grooming, while 12-hour workers generally do not sleep while on duty or require their own bedroom or bathroom. Therefore, if the patient requires a lot of attention during the night (i.e. they are up and down more than once for bathroom visits or need a lot of help due to discomfort), 12-hour shifts or an additional overnight caregiver may be the right solution. Live-in caregivers do need to sleep sometime in order to provide quality care.

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