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.

If a family member takes care of a loved one on a regular basis, but occasionally needs outside help, they can find it from a Vida Senior Resource Certified In Home Senior Care Agency.  This outside help is called respite care services, and it is designed give a break to the family member providing care for their disabled or aging loved one.  In fact respite care services are most commonly used to enable family caregivers to have a break so they can take a vacation, or even go out for a night, without worrying about their loved one being alone.  There are even senior grants available for the explicit purpose of respite care services.

I remember one case when my non-medical home care agency was able to assist a gentleman who was taking care of his mother before and after work. I had happened to meet him at the grocery store.  As we talked, I explained what I did, and he started to tell me about his mother.  Then he told me that he would be going on a cruise for 10 days the following month.  He was worried about leaving his mother alone for that period of time, since she was unable to leave the house or even make her own meals.  I told him that we would be able to help his mother while he was gone, and make sure she bathed and ate.  He said that sounded great but wondered how much it would cost him.  I responded by saying that I believed we could get his mother approved for a grant to pay for the services.

The office staff from my agency met with the gentlemen and his mother at their home, helped them fill out the senior respite grant application, and even mailed it in for them.  Within a week the family received word back from the organization providing the senior grant that not only did his mother qualify, but that she had already been approved.

The next month, the gentlemen was able to go on his cruise without worrying whether or not his mother was ok.  Our agency was able to provide Senior Home Care with no out of pocket expense for the family.  When he arrived home from vacation, the gentlemen came in to the office to tell us how much he appreciated the help we provided him, and to let us know that he would happily recommend us to anyone else who needed our services.  His mother also told us that she loved her caregiver, and she scheduled her to continue services for two days every week.

Many people ask the question; “How do I pay for senior home care services for my family member?” The answer may be with senior grants. In addition to Medicaid, there are a number of grants that give money to seniors specifically for in-home care. They range from assistance for people who do not qualify for Medicaid, to respite for the family taking care of the senior. The grants available vary depending on age, disability, and the area in which the person needing assistance lives. Since this can be confusing, VIDA Senior Resource Staff encourages anyone to call so we can assist with explaining, and applying for these grants. The Vida staff has experience with the application process, and they understand the requirements for eligibility.

Respite grants differ from senior grants in that even though the grant benefits seniors, it is technically for their family members. These types of grants offer respite (a break), to the family members taking care of the senior. They do this by furnishing money to pay for care the family would normally provide. This enables the family to go out for a night, or take a vacation, without worrying about leaving their parent or grandparent alone without help. Once again, the Vida staff will gladly assist in the application, and explanation of any requirements for these grants.

The staff of VIDA Senior Resource is a resource to be used, and their first-hand experience will make the application process for any grant much easier. Please feel free to call for any help or information at 1-866-273-2995 or browse or directory of Senior In-Home Care Agencies.