Choosing a Senior Home Care Agency

Posted by: Eric

There are several factors to consider when choosing a Senior Home Care Agency.  These factors range from the quality of senior care a particular home care agency can provide, to their availability to be reached after office hours.  Some other essential factors included whether or not they are licensed, bonded, and insured and whether or not they provide on-call service 24 hours a day 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  No matter how an individual ranks the importance of these factors, the fact remains that they should all be considered when choosing an senior in-home care agency.

1. Are they Licensed, Bonded, and Insured?

The first thing to consider when choosing any non-medical home care or senior home health care agency is whether or not they are fully licensed, bonded, and insured, this ensures the agency is reputable and respected. At Vida we require all of our Certified In-Home Care Agencies to be licensed, bonded and insured.

2. Is someone on call 24/7, 365 days a year?

Another factor to consider when choosing a senior home care agency is whether or not it is possible to contact the agency after business hours.  There should always be someone on call before and after business hours that can answer questions, or assist someone in need.  These on-call hours include all weekends and holidays.  Every Vida Certified Senior Home Care Agency is required to have some one on call at all times.

3. Do they conduct reference and background checks on caregivers and office staff?

An important factor when considering senior home care services is whether or not the caregivers and office staff are fingerprinted and have an FBI background check performed on them.  This guarantees that no one with a criminal record can enter a your senior loved one’s home.  Every Vida Certified Home Care Agency is required to conduct background checks on their employees.

4. Does the agency strive to ensure continuity of care?

The last thing your senior loved one wants is inconsistency and constant change.  Your senior loved one’s caregiver will not only build a relationship with their client, but will need know things essential to the plan of care, such as, where cleaning equipment is, daily meal plans, and preferred bathing and toileting routines.  It is important to match a caregiver and client based on personality. Vida Senior Home Care Agencies strive for continuity of care between the caregiver and client, including matching the caregiver of your choice to work with your loved one.

5. Does the Senior Home Care Agency provide Quality of Care Supervision?

The final piece of the puzzle when choosing an in-home senior care agency is quality of care supervision.  This includes a personal introduction between your loved one and the office staff of the agency every time there is a new caregiver, weekly phone calls to both the client and caregiver, and periodic on-site visits to your loved one’s home.  At Vida we require our home care agencies to call both the client and caregiver after the first three visits to confirm that everything went well and ensure there are no questions or miscommunications.  Additionally, all Vida agencies call every client and caregiver once a week just to check in, and make sure there are no problems of any kind.  The office staff also conducts periodic visits to the client’s home to speak face to face, and visually check the quality of care being provided.  These steps enable the  staff to answer and solve any questions or concerns before they become a problem.

While there is no all-encompassing formula for choosing a senior home care agency, these things can help someone decide which agency will be able to help them the most.  You can always call us at 1-866-273-2995 or visit our Senior In-Home Care Agency Directory for more assistance and information.