Once the decision has been made to keep a loved one home to be cared for, the next step is putting a plan into action. It’s an educational journey, understanding your options, comparing agencies, and figuring out which one will best fit your family’s requests and your loved one’s care needs.
Be prepared with a list of questions:
- How long has the agency been serving the community?
- Is the agency licensed, bonded, and insured?
- Is the agency accredited by Joint Commission? That means an agency is committed to providing safe, high quality care with a focus on providing continuous improvement to patient care.
- How does the home care provider select and train its employees?
- Who evaluates the patient’s home care needs?
- Does that person consult with the patient’s doctor and family members?
- Are the patient and family members included in developing the plan of care and consulted on any changes?
- Is the treatment plan documented and shared with the patient and family and updated as changes occur? Ye
- Does the provider educate the family about the care being provided to the patient?
- Does the home care provider assign supervisors to oversee the quality of care patients receive in their homes?
- Who can the patient and family members call if they have complaints?
- How does the provider resolve those complaints?
- What happens if there is an emergency? es. Case schedules vary based on the care needs of the patient.
- What safeguards are in place to make sure information about the patient is kept confidential?
- Is the company able to respond to short notice changes?
- How quickly can the company begin service?
- How is the agency when it comes to responsiveness and resourcefulness?
- Does the company manage the billing on behalf of the client?
- Will the company help investigate and provide consultation on your insurance coverage and eligibility?
- Does the company provide educational support and training for its aides?
- Does the provider offer brochures or other materials to explain its services, fees and other details, as well as a “Patient Bill of Rights” outlining the responsibilities of the provider, patient and caregivers?