The key to choosing the ideal home care agency is knowing the amount of care needed by your mother or father. There are primarily two categories of in-home care: custodial care and professional care. Custodial care includes help with shopping, housekeeping, preparing meals, and also personal care like dressing, feeding and bathing. Skilled care, on the other hand, attends to the medical requirements of the senior. Some companies provide only one type of care while others have both choices.
Listed below are some pointers for selecting a home care agency for your loved one:
You really need to thoroughly evaluate what type of assistance is needed by your mother or father when it comes to their health care, household care and personal care. Do they need aid with home health care like supervising their medications or physical therapy?
- Write a job summarization. After you have analyzed your loved one's demands, it's time to write a job description that will help you recognize the most suitable choices for the job. If you're going to an elder care agency, the job description will also help them in choosing the right caregiver for your mother or father.
- Have a job contract. Your in home care company should be able to draft a contract but it's very important to make sure all the important details are included.
- Try to find prospective elder care professionals. You can ask around-- good friends, acquaintances or perhaps the people you work with-- may be able to direct you to a few really good companies or they may know of a caregiver personally. You can also examine online for credible agencies. On a related tone, if your senior loved one calls for specific care, such as if they are dealing with dementia or Alzheimer's disease, you should also ensure that the caregivers you are taking into consideration have the appropriate training and experience in dealing with patients who have these health issues.
- Get ready for the meeting. Once you have selected an agency that utilizes home health aides, it's time to get ready for the consultation. You need to have a list of questions to ask, not only the caregivers but also the agency itself. Ask how long they have been in the industry, if their caregivers are bonded, if they are licensed, and what kind of training the home care service providers have undergone. Pick an agency that is very helpful in answering your questions. Avoid those who seem too busy to answer your questions in addition to those that do not offer competent answers.
When talking to the caregiver applicants, always make it a point to observe their demeanor and temperament. Invite a family member to take part the interview so you can get a second opinion. Ideally, you also should observe the interaction and communications between the caregiver and the loved one who is requiring elderly care.
A lot of agency workers seem good on paper but may not really be qualified to give care to the elder. You need to look past their resumes and you should truly do your best to learn as much about them and their character before you choose who will take care of your aging mom or dad.
- You should also examine if they have any reports of alcohol or drug use, if they have offenses that present a safety and security risk, and if they have a driver's license. Find out as much as you can about the company and the caregiver. You want the best potential care for your parent and this begins by giving her or him a caregiver who is knowledgeable and trained to provide the services needed, someone who is thoughtful, understanding and patient, and someone you can trust to look after your parent when you're not around.
Learn how the caregivers at Home Helpers can help provide the finest possible quality of life at home for your loved one-- get in touch with us to schedule your free in-home consultation today.
Home Helpers of Lake Country is a locally-owned, trusted home health care agency and offers quality, compassionate senior in-home care services including home care assistance, personal care, companion care, respite care, Alzheimer's & dementia care as well as homemaker services in Oconomowoc, Dousman, Beaver Dam, Hartland, Summit, Okauchee, Watertown, Delafield, Wales, Chenequa, Johnson Creek, Lake Mills, Juneau, Ixonia, Nashotah, and Concord.