Families looking for caregivers to provide help at home for their loved ones got a scare recently with a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The study concluded that families need to be cautious that the agency is not misrepresenting their caregivers’ skills and their agencies’ training and supervision. Not every homecare agency offers the help a family may need.
Some agencies may not provide adequate screening or training and finding the right fit between the caregiver and the client, and finding an agency that can truly provide the care that’s needed, can be difficult. The situation is often made even more challenging because it may be an unplanned need, making it both more important and harder to be selective in evaluating an agency and an individual caregiver.
To make sure that families get qualified help, the study suggested ten questions to ask. Visiting Angels suggests that families ask not just those questions but a few more to ensure the right fit:
1. How do you recruit caregivers, and what are your hiring requirements?
2. What types of screening and background checks are performed on caregivers before you hire them?).
3. Is your agency bonded and insured, and are you licensed if that is required
4. What kind of health-related training, if any, do your caregivers have
5. Does your agency provide specialized and continuing education for caregivers?
6. How are your training programs developed?
7. What competencies will the caregiver
8. How do you assess what the caregiver is capable of doing?
9. What is your policy on providing a substitute caregiver in the event a regular caregiver cannot provide the contracted services?
10. If there is dissatisfaction with a particular caregiver, can he or she be replaced “without cause”?
11. Does the agency provide a supervisor to evaluate the quality of home care on a regular basis? How frequently?
12. How long has the agency been in business?
13. How does the agency stay abreast of new techniques and research in home care?
14. What hours can the caregivers work? When are they available?
15. Can we meet the caregiver before the person starts work?
Bringing someone into your home is very personal. It’s so important to ask questions and to be confident that the agency you choose can stand by you when you need them. We hope these questions help families feel more confident in their choices.
For more information, please call Visiting Angels at 661-263-2273.