There are many professional home healthcare companies that provide an array of support for the family caregiver. They are designed to assist the family caregiver with medical care, meal preparations and a host of duties to avoid caregivers burnout. These types of organization are categorized into medical and non-medical in-home care providers.
The medical in-home care providers have licensed staff, for instance, nurse practitioners (NP), registered nurses (RN), licensed vocational nurses (LVN), respiratory therapists (RT) and physical and occupational therapists (PT & OT). They also may have case managers, social workers and other medical professionals on staff for additional support. These types of companies may assist with wound care, administering medication, respiratory wellness, infusion and physical therapy and end of life care. These providers have earned a professional degree within their own discipline, and in most causes are required to maintain a state license and an industry certification.
The non-medical in-home providers may help with meal preparations, medication management, home cleaning, bathing, incontinence duties, grocery shopping, doctors' appointment visits and many other tasks that may not require a professional license, but may require a certification.
Prior to contacting an agency, first list all of the tasks and medical care that is needed. Categorize the tasks and medical care into several levels. For example, Level 1 Care may be tasks that do not involve any contact with your loved one. This type of care consists of housekeeping, watering the plants, meal preparation, scheduling doctor visits, grocery shopping, home safety and similar tasks.
Level 2 Care may consist of more personal care. These tasks are considered in the industry as Activities of Daily Living or ADL care. This level of care involves feeding, dressing, bathing, grooming, oral hygiene, toileting, transferring positions and locations, assisting with mobility aids and many more personal tasks. Level 2 type of care may require certification and a state license. Check with your state for more details.
Level 3 Care may be provided by licensed professionals registered through a state agency. This form of care is administered by medical in-home care providers with a higher level of education, such as nurses, respiratory, physical and occupational therapists. Skilled care on this level may be paid for by private insurances, Medicare and Medicaid.
Now that you have the tasks and the needed medical care listed into levels, it is time to call on several in-home care providers.
Here are some tips for selecting an in-home care provider agency:
First, interview 3 to 5 home caregiver agencies that service your local area. You may conduct a search in our Caregivers Directory or your local yellow pages and any internet.search engines.
Ask for at least 6 to 10 references. These references should include clients from 12 to 18 months ago, 3 to 6 months ago and one month intervals. Also call or visit your local hospital senior center or senior citizens community center. These types of organizations know all of the players in the industry and may give you an insight to the companies that are being interviewed. There may be an internet report card for home caregiver agencies in your area as well. Also, check to see if your state have caregiver associations for recommendations.
Verify with state, federal, county and local agencies for licenses and special permits that may be required. At minimum they should have a federal tax identification number, Corporation or Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Limited Partnership (LP) entity number and a county or city business license.
Review their insurance. Companies should be bonded, and have liability and worker compensation insurance. Confirm with your state agency for specific insurance requirements. When you have selected the home care agency, ask for a certificate of insurance, and to name you as an additional insurer. This document should be filed in a safe place.
Ask for a copy of the contract to review for several days prior to signing.
After you have completed your research, there are specific questions to ask during the interview. For example:
* How many years have the company been in business?
* Is there a tier cost per hour for each level of care?
* What are the cost per hour for the day and evening shift and weekends?
* What are the minimum required hours for each caregiver per day?
* Is the company certified by an accredited agency, such as, the Joint Commission?
* Is the company certified to receive government funding from Medicare or other federal, state and county agencies?
* What type of supplies will the company furnish (i.e., gloves, wipes, etc.)?
* Does the company conduct background investigations and alcohol and drug examinations for each staff member?
* Have the caregiver been trained and certified for the required level of care that is needed?
* How many caregivers they have on the payroll?
* How long have the caregiver been employed with the agency?
* How will the caregiver be supervised?
* Who should you call in case of an after hours emergency?
* Have the caregiver signed a company confidentiality agreement and company handbook?
* What is the policy in replacing a caregiver for non- performance, not showing up or not arriving on time?
* What is the procedure in handling other complaints?
* What is the cost to purchasing the caregivers contract when you find a great caregiver?
* What is the dress code policy?
* Are caregivers required to wear badges with a photo?
* What are the policies for driving to doctor appointments and running other errands?
* Is there an additional cost for those types of services?
* How many days notice must be given to cancel the contract?
* Are there any other cancellation previsions in the contract?
* Will there be a caregiver and medication log for review each day?
These are just a few questions to ask, and you are encouraged to add several more to this list. "What if" type of scenario questions should be asked with respects to your specific situation. Good luck with your search!
Jose' Silva is the Founder of CareGiversTrainingVideos.com CareGiversTrainingVideos.com/, which specializes in giving family caregivers the learning tools necessary to care for a loved one at home. The website is rich with "How to" videos, written articles and check list to help the family caregiver. Get your free Fall Prevention and Safety Check List at caregiverstrainingvideos.com/fall-prevention-home-safety-check-list caregiverstrainingvideos.com/fall-prevention-home-safety-check-list/.
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