Questions To Consider While Selecting a Good Home Care Agency

 

The initial step when it comes to finding a reliable home care agency is determining the kind of care that is required by your loved one. There are two chief types of in-home care services- skilled care that provides for medical needs and custodial care. Custodial care can include help with shopping, house-keeping, meals and personal care like dressing, feeding and bathing. Some agencies offer one kind of care while some include both. Home care agencies like Atlanta home care and Atlanta nursing service are renowned for equipping their clients with top-notch home care services at best prices. Here’s a look at the top questions you need to consider in order to select the best home care agency for your loved one:  

• Is the agency Medicare certified?
• For how long has the agency been providing home care services? 
• Is the agency licensed by the state? 
• What is the range of home care services provided by the agency?
• Will the agency be able to explain what insurance or Medicaid will cover and what the client needs to pay? 
• Do they provide specific services you require? 
• Can they meet the special needs that you might have?
• How does the provider train and select its employees?
• Does the agency have benefits packages, malpractice insurance and written personnel policies? 
• Are therapists or nurses needed to evaluate the home care needs of your loved one? 
• Does the provider include the client and their family members in crafting the plan for home care?
• Is the agency involved in making home care plan changes?
• Is the course of treatment of the client documented citing the specific tasks that need to be carried out by the professional caregivers?
• Does the provider assign supervisors in order to manage the quality of care that the clients are getting in their homes? If yes, then how often do the supervisors make visits?
• How does the agency follow up and resolve issues? Knowing this will help ensure that the caregivers are conducting their activities in a correct manner and are responding to the client’s changing needs. 
• What are the financial procedures adopted by the agency?
• What procedures are followed by the provider to handle emergencies?
• Does the agency publish statements that explain all the options for costs and payment plan linked with the home care services it offers?
• Are the caregivers of the agency available twenty four hours a day, seven days a week? All home care agencies do not provide professionals that are available 24 hours a day or promise replacement coverage in case the assigned help is not able to come.