When a loved one is struggling with daily chores and self-care, some difficult decisions lie ahead. One way to lighten his load, keep him safe and help him living at home is to hire a home healthcare services provider. Finding a qualified, compassionate and trustworthy person to bring into your loved one’s home is serious business. Here are a few tips on hiring home healthcare for yourself or someone you love.
Know your needs.
An honest assessment of the person’s needs helps you determine what kind of help will be required. Is there a medical condition that needs monitoring like diabetes or Alzheimer’s? Are daily tasks like meals and personal care giving some trouble? Then you might need daily care rather than weekly.
Be thorough when outlining the needs to be filled by the home healthcare agency hiring the home health aide. You need a good match between the home health aide and the senior. Ask the agency lots of open-ended questions about their experiences dealing with similar needs and situations.
Interview thoroughly.
You don’t have to settle for the first agency or home health aide that you find. Your doctor may recommend someone but that doesn’t mean that person is the best choice for you or your loved one. Interview several aides so that you can choose the very best fit. Look for specific answers, a polite and enthusiastic personality and a genuine love of the job. Ask if she has references and make sure the agency has checked them.
When hiring home healthcare, be sure to go over the agency contract completely. You need to know exactly what is covered and what will become an “add on” fee later. Find out what the procedure is for requesting a home health aide in case the first one is not the right fit. Make sure the agency performs background checks and drug screenings.
Trust your gut.
Your first instincts are usually pretty accurate. If you don’t feel good about a candidate or agency, it’s perfectly ok to move on to another. You should always be comfortable with your choice in senior home care.
It is possible to remain safely at home with a little help from in home healthcare services.
The Home Healthcare Agency that can satisfy all your questions and that you feel comfortable with will be the right choice for you to trust. David York Agency would be happy to give you more information about Home Healthcare. Contact us at 908.373.5300 where a nurse is waiting to take your call and browse our website. You can also like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
