Evaluate the qualifications of the home care provider

There is a wide continuum of care that can be provided in the home. Nowadays, home care covers almost every type of home-based service, except for advanced diagnostic testing or surgery. Services range from companionship or light homemaking to high-tech nursing and hospice care for persons who are approaching the end of their lives. While there are many home care agencies that provide different types of care, few of these agencies offer a comprehensive range of services. Full spectrum agencies provide and coordinate the full continuum of patient care that spans from non-medical assistance to hands-on patient care.

Many people ask if the size of a home care agency is a good barometer of the services it provides. That depends. If an agency is too small, it may not have enough services and staffing to meet your expanding needs. At the same time, a larger agency may not be able to handle the care and concerns of its patients with the same intensity and attention you would find at a smaller agency.

The bottom line is that quality home care has more to do with an agency’s mission and philosophy than its size or how many clients it serves. You should choose a home care agency that places a priority on developing meaningful relationships with its clients. Even if that agency grows, you can feel confident it will honor its mission by increasing its management and field staff in direct proportion to its growing client base.

When evaluating potential home care agencies, ask these important questions:

• How long has this agency been in business? What experience do the owner, director and management team have that qualifies them to provide you with the best home care?
• What makes this agency different — and superior — to any other agency? Does the agency have any literature (or a Web site) available about its services and rates?
• What licensures or accreditations does the agency have? Which associations does it belong to? What makes membership in that association so important?
• What is the agency’s philosophy on care delivery? What is its philosophy on customer service? What model of care does it use to provide services to its clients?
• Is it a full spectrum agency? What type of services does it provide? What are the benefits of a full spectrum agency (one that provides both non-medical and Medicare-certified services)?
• What are the rates for those services? What value-added services does the agency provide (extra services you won’t have to pay for)?
• What are the options for payment? How is service verified and how will you be billed?
• What types of employees actually deliver the care? How are they selected, hired, trained and supervised? Do they receive support and ongoing training from the agency?
• Can you meet and choose the caregiver who will provide care for your loved one? How will he/she be chosen? Will you always have the same caregiver?
• What is the average pay rate for your caregivers (nurses and aides)? Are they offered any benefits? Are the agency’s employees covered by Workers’ Compensation and liability insurance? What is the agency’s retention rate?
• Are on-call staff available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and on holidays?
• What happens if your caregiver calls off? Is the agency capable of providing a backup caregiver if you need one?
• Will a nurse create a plan of care for your loved one and will you and your family be involved in creating the plan?
• Who will be coordinating ongoing care? How is ongoing communications handled, especially regarding day-to-day scheduling and changes to the needs of your loved one and your family?
• Can you transition from one type of service to another, or receive more than one service at a time?
• How are your problems or complaints handled? Will that affect your care?
• Can the agency provide you with a list of references?

Information your home care provider will need

Once a home care provider is selected, your family should gather a number of important documents and keep them in a safe place in the home of your loved one. These documents will help the provider to quickly access accurate information so they can deliver the best possible service.

• Information from the doctor or health-care professional that treats the patient
• Existing living wills or advanced directives
• Emergency contact information
• An accurate and complete health history, including all medications the patient takes, insurance information, ID cards and ID numbers, Social Security card, etc.