Hiring a home healthcare service to care for your aging loved ones is a fantastic decision. Home healthcare services will provide loved ones with companionship and care, all while easing stress on the family, especially for the primary family caregiver, often a daughter, son, or a close relative. For families who need assistance choosing the best provider for their loved one’s needs, here are four questions to ask before choosing a home healthcare service:
What are the service’s qualifications?
The care of loved ones should not be entrusted to just anyone off the street. Families need to be able to trust that your loved one will be in good hands with one of the home healthcare service’s caregivers. Make sure the service in question is a registered member of the Canadian Home Care Association and that the members of their staff and associates include registered and licensed Registered Nurses, Registered Practical Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, and Personal Support Workers.
What experience does the service have with a given condition?
Every condition is unique and comes with different requirements in terms of recuperation and care. Families should make sure any home healthcare service that is being considered has experience with the particular condition of the family’s loved one. Loved ones may have Alzheimer’s, ALS, or other serious chronic health challenges, or they may be aging parents who needs support, or recovering from surgery at home. Choose a home healthcare service has experience with the condition and understands the particular demands and requirements of caring such patients.
What services are offered?
Quality home healthcare services offer a wide variety of services that are tailored to match the specific needs of the patient and the patient’s family. This can include anything from companionship and light housekeeping to 24-hour monitoring and live-in support. Services can be scaled back or increased as the needs of the patient change over time. Of special note is the provision of medical and non-medical services because you don’t want to be forced to change providers by those who provide only non-medical services when the need for medical services arises due to further aging or illnesses.
What makes this service different?
The right home healthcare service should have a clear articulation of their strengths and what makes them stand apart from the competition. Choose a home healthcare service that shows a commitment to supporting both the patient and their family. They should be able to demonstrate their ability to provide exceptional and tailored service and care for your loved ones. The service provider should ensure that consistent caregivers are assigned to the client to avoid having to deal with new caregivers often. Every client should receive nurse-managed care, with a personal care manager available 24/7 to provide support, so that the caregivers are not left to their own devices should special situations occur and they require the advice of a medical professional.
Does your service offer in-home assessment?
The right home healthcare service will offer a free in-home assessment to determine appropriate services for the patient. Any service that tries to sell without meeting the client in person and assessing the home situation is not the right fit. Choose a home healthcare service that offers a free in-home assessment where they sit down with the family and together they come up with options and a plan.
These four questions can help families find the right home healthcare service to provide their loved ones with affordable, safe, and tailored care in the comfort of home.