Quality Standards For Senior Care

Americans are encouraged to save for their retirement through 401K's and other investment savings programs, but discussing the specific plan for senior care rarely takes place until the care is actually needed. Like a tornado, we think senior caregiving services will pass by somewhere else and not happen at our house.

Caregivers are "Employees" (which include paying all employee payroll taxes, as required by law: Unemployment Insurance tax, Social Security tax, Medicare tax and State and Federal with-holdings)
Business license and necessary state licensure (some states require dept. of health license)
Worker's Compensation Insurance
Professional Liability Insurance
Fidelity Bond Insurance (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
You should interview the Care Manager over the home and setup a time for a home senior care assessment, which will allow you to learn about the company's approach to care and how they will assign and manage the caregiver.

All senior home happinesslifetime.com care agencies will conduct criminal backgound checks and make sure the employee meets the requirements of the I-9 employment form (as required by U.S. employment law).

Other questions to ask the senior happinesslifetime.com home care agency:

What training is provided for the caregiver
Is a telephony time card provided (where the caregiver calls in to the agency when they arrive and when they leave, making sure the caregiver arrives and leaves on time)
Do they provide a home assessment to consider what other supplies and equipment may be needed?
Do they provide Care Management services to assist with doctor's visits and ongoing care needs?
What other quality service providers can they connect you with (such as grocery delivery, pharmacy delivery)?
Even when care services are needed at the last minute, it is valuable to make sure you are receiving care from a company that meets these caregiverlist.com/AgencyAdvantages.aspx quality standards.

Julie A. Northcutt, President of Caregiverlist.com, works to connect seniors and their loved ones with quality senior care options and caregivers with employment opportunities. Caregiverlist.com provides information on elderly care and assists in finding premier senior home care agencies by qualifying your care needs and required services. caregiverlist.com caregiverlist.com