Home Healthcare Agency

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Whether you arrange for home health care through an agency or hire an independent home health care aide on an individual basis, it helps to spend some time preparing for the person who will be doing the work. Ideally, you could spend a day with him or her, before the job formally begins, to discuss what will be involved in the daily routine. If nothing else, tell the home health care provider (both verbally and in writing) the following things that he or she should know about the senior:

* Illnesses/injuries, and signs of an emergency medical situation
* Likes and dislikes
* Medications, and how and when they should be taken
* Need for dentures, eyeglasses, canes, walkers, etc.
* Possible behavior problems and how best to deal with them
* Problems getting around (in or out of a wheelchair, for example, or trouble walking)
* Special diets or nutritional needs
* Therapeutic exercises.
* Clothing the senior may need (if/when it gets too hot or too cold)
* How you can be contacted (and who else should be contacted in an emergency)
...
... * How to find and use medical supplies and medications
* When to lock up the apartment/house and where to find the keys
* Where to find food, cooking utensils, and serving items
* Where to find cleaning supplies
* Where to find light bulbs and flash lights, and where the fuse box is located (in case of a power failure)
* Where to find the washer, dryer, and other household appliances (as well as instructions for how to use them).

Plus, it is always good to ask questions of the Home Healthcare Agency. Here is a list of the best 20 questions you should be asking them:

1. How long has the homecare agency been serving this community?
2. Does the homecare agency have any printed brochures describing the services it offers and how much they cost? If so, get one.
3. Is the homecare agency an approved Medicare provider?
4. Is the quality of care certified by a national accrediting body such as the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations?
5. Does the homecare agency have a current license to practice (if required in the state where you live)?
6. Does the homecare agency offer seniors a “Patients’ Bill of Rights” that describes the rights and responsibilities of both the agency and the senior being cared for?
7. Does the homecare agency write a plan of care for the patient (with input from the patient, his or her doctor and family), and update the plan as necessary?
8. Does the home care plan outline the patient’s course of treatment, describing the specific tasks to be performed by each caregiver?
9. How closely do supervisors oversee home care to ensure quality?
10. Will agency caregivers keep family members informed about the kind of care their loved one is getting?
11. Are agency staff members available around the clock, seven days a week, if necessary?
12. Does the agency have a nursing supervisor available to provide on-call assistance 24 hours a day?
13. How does the homecare agency ensure patient confidentiality?
14. How are homecare agency caregivers hired and trained?
15. What is the procedure for resolving problems when they occur, and who can I call with questions or complaints?
16. How does the homecare agency handle billing?
17. Is there a sliding fee schedule based on ability to pay, and is financial assistance available to pay for home care services?
18. Will the homecare agency provide a list of references for its caregivers?
19. Who does the homecare agency call if the home health care worker cannot come when scheduled?
20. What type of employee screening is done?

Although most states require that home health care agencies perform criminal background checks on their workers and carefully screen job applicants for these positions, the actual regulations will vary depending on where you live. Therefore, before contacting a home health care agency, you may want to call your local area agency on aging or department of public health to learn what laws apply in your state.