Home care services can make a huge difference in an elderly loved one’s quality of life. But many families feel like they’re without a road map when starting out with in-home senior care. Talking with Home Care Services Providers
As America’s choice for home care services, caregivers from Visiting Angels understand these feelings better than almost anyone. We know how important it is to feel comfortable with a home care agency and your loved one’s caregiver or caregivers. Talking with Home Care Services Providers
In the words of our CEO and President, Larry Meigs, “Great home care services come down to trust between each care recipient and his or her caregiver.” Talking with Home Care Services Providers
Open Conversation = Trustworthy Home Care Services
One way that top home care agencies promote comfort and trust is through having clients meet with caregivers before starting care. This is a great opportunity for you, your loved one, and your family, allowing you to learn more about a particular caregiver and whether or not they would make a good fit for your loved one.
But if this is your first time hiring a home care services provider, you might not be sure how to handle this conversation. Never fear – our team is here to help.
What to Ask a Home Care Services Provider
To help you through this conversation, we’ve put together a short guide to give you some idea of what to expect and how to prepare. Use the following questions as guidelines for the subjects you’ll want to cover when speaking with your home care services provider.
- Are they licensed? Most, but not all, states require licensing to provide home care services. Find out if your state requires licensing. If it does, make sure that a prospective caregiver can prove he or she is licensed.
- Are they experienced? At Visiting Angels, we focus on hiring caregivers with two years or more experience. Other agencies or independent caregivers might not be able to guarantee that kind of experience. So ask your caregiver to detail their experience in senior care.
- Are they compassionate? Pay close attention to the way your caregiver talks about their work and past clients. The best caregivers treat their clients with kindness, warmth, and compassion. Look for red flags, such as talking about their work as if it’s a chore, or – worse yet – badmouthing their previous clients.
- Can they meet your needs? Spend time before meeting your home care services provider thinking up all of the potential situations they might run into during care. Write these down, then ask your home care services provider how they would handle these situations.
- What is their availability? At Visiting Angels, we offer 24/7 scheduling availability and after-hours emergency response. But we know that this isn’t possible for all home care service providers. Your interview is a good time to discuss your caregiver’s availability – both for regular scheduling and urgent situations.
- Does it feel like a good fit? A caregiver can check off all the right boxes but still give you or, more importantly, your loved one bad vibes. If the fit doesn’t feel right, voice your concerns to the agency. Or, if you are interviewing independent home care services providers, consider expanding your search.
Visiting Angels is proud to offer professional in-home care services throughout the United States. Get in touch with your local office today for a no-cost care consultation. Talking with Home Care Services Providers
