Expert Tips for Choosing the Right In-Home Care Agency

Older adults prefer to stay at home rather than go to an old age home. If you are a caregiver for an elderly relative or parents, chances are you have heard them say so. Taking care of an elderly person is a full-time responsibility. If you are working or have a family of your own, you will not be able to give the full attention that they need. This will end up making you feel guilty and them feeling that they are overlooked. 

If you are in such a situation yourself, then you could consider hiring a caregiver. There are many senior care services available that provide caregiving at the comfort of your home or that of the aging person. They are medically qualified to do so which makes them a good choice if you need them to help out an elderly person who is ill. This will allow you to have a few hours of relaxation with the contentment that the people you love so much are taken care of. 

When you are looking for the right in-home care agency, you will need to look into several factors to make sure you are making a sound decision. Below are a few expert tips that can guide you through the process. 

If you need the caregiver to give medical attention at home to someone who is suffering from diseases or illness, you will need to make sure that you hire through a domiciliary care agency. They will be able to provide professional staff who can take care of all the arrangements needed to make the elderly person feel comfortable. You can also look into how many hours of services do you need from the staff. Sometimes a caregiver for a few hours every day will help you whereas at other times you will need a 24 hours live-in-care service to live with the person. Some agencies also provide flexibility and adapt to change in work timing if it is needed. 

Collect as much information as possible about the requirements needed from the caregiver. This should be done before you commit to an agency so they can send over a staff that can be the perfect fit. Note down points like the specific activities you need help with, the timings, and the length of the visit. Asking for a quotation for the cost of services in advance will also be helpful in choosing one that fits your budget. Once you know the cost, you will be able to decide how many hours per week can you afford to have the caregiver for. You can also look at several such agencies before deciding on one. 

If you spend time interviewing all the caregivers without first going through their profile and the services they provide, you can be in for a long and tedious job. The first thing is to shortlist on the basis of checking if the care providers are licensed to do so. This will make sure that the care providers follow strict standards of safety and security. Also in case of specific medical needs like if the elderly person is a patient of dementia then those requirements should be met. Once you have shortlisted all the agencies or caregivers on the basis of how they fit your requirements, you can start interviewing only those. You can also check their references and reviews to understand how other like-minded people feel about their services. 

Don’t be shy to ask questions while interviewing the prospective staff. Try to arrange to meet them at your home so they too are aware of what is expected of them. This will give both you and the caregiver a perfect opportunity to know each other. You can also ask another family member or a friend to join you so they can add more insights in case you miss some. Prepare a checklist of questions that will cover questions regarding the staff themselves, their care services, timings, charges, and any other conditions they might have. 

When you are dealing with an agency, chances are they will take into consideration your requirements and then send over a staff they deem fit. You can ask them how they recruit their staff, what qualifications are checked, and if the criminal record of the caregiver is checked thoroughly before they are hired. Confirm if the medical needs that the elderly patient needs will be met with the right qualifications by the staff. The cost involved along with any extra charges should be discussed properly so you are not under a financial burden. In some cases, you will be able to interview the caregiver sent by the agency before hiring one. 

The whole idea of hiring a caregiver is so that the elderly person or people in your house are looked after regularly and you are not stressed about their health. There will still be times when an unexpected emergency arises with them and they will need extra time or special care from the carers. You should discuss these with the agency or the caregiver. Another thing to ask them is what is their policy if the caregiver is unwell or sick. In such cases, you will be left with little notice and might not be able to re-schedule your day. Ask them if they will be able to arrange a substitute quickly. 

While it is good to know everything possible about the caregiver you choose, giving them some information on your background and that of the person who needs care will also help them to understand what is needed better. If you have specific diets that you follow or pets or allergies then let them know in advance.

A careful process for hiring an in-home caregiver can bring you the peace of knowing that your loved ones are in the right hands and looked after well in your absence.