Shopping for Senior Home Care Services: Questions to Ask

Finding the right care solution for a senior family member is one of the most important as well as daunting decisions you’ll face. Ensuring the safety of the senior is crucial, but there are some additional factors to consider as well, such as whether the senior’s quality of life and ability to thrive and continue to be independent will be a top priority.

AARP provides an insightful checklist of questions to ask about when investigating senior home care options, such as:

• Is the agency licensed?
• What services are provided?
• How long before services can start?
• Are caregivers trained and knowledgeable?
• Is there a process set up for conducting background checks, bonding and insuring staff, supervision?
• What happens if a caregiver doesn’t show up on time (or at all)?
• Can a different caregiver be requested if you don’t like the one assigned?
• Are there any customer testimonials or reviews you are able to read?
• Will the senior receive an individualized plan of care?
• How many years has the agency been in business?

It’s also critical to ensure that the caregiver is a hired employee from a trustworthy agency, rather than a contractor referred by a registry service, or an individual hired through a classified ad, because:

• Taxes as well as other necessary federal and state requirements are covered. Hiring a caregiver independently makes YOU the employer, meaning you will be responsible for all taxes, unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation, etc., and, you’ll be liable for medical as well as other expenses in the event the caregiver were to become hurt on the job. A professional home care agency assumes the role of employer for its caregivers, alleviating these concerns for older adults and their loved ones.
• Full vetting and supervision of caregivers improves safety. Regrettably, the danger of exploitation and abuse of senior loved ones is increased when hiring an independent caregiver, whether financial, physical, or emotional. Respected home care agencies offer supervision including thorough background and reference checks, bonding and insurance, along with other safeguards in order to protect senior loved ones. Not just that, but in the event an older adult’s primary caregiver was ill or took a break for vacation, a similarly qualified and reliable substitute caregiver would be provided.
• Initial and ongoing training promote caregiver excellence. Agencies that offer comprehensive training for their care staff make certain that skills are constantly as sharp as they can be, and that any new strategies established in the industry are utilized – meaning an increased degree of care over an independent caregiver who may not have the same opportunities for professional development.

At Morning Glory Home Care, we are pleased to provide compassionate home care and memory care in Godrey, IL and the surrounding communities that meets these criteria and many more. As a proud member of the Briggs Home Care family of agencies, we are invested in meeting the varied needs of our clients – from companionship and light housekeeping assistance to care for chronic and emerging health issues, and everything in between. We take great pride in ensuring our team receives continuous caregiver training, so that you can feel comfortable and confident in knowing our caregivers are top notch and continually improving their skills, while providing the safe, reliable, and compassionate care necessary to make life the very best it can be.

Email or call us at 618-667-8400 so that we can answer any additional questions you might have about our senior home care and memory care in Godfrey, IL and the surrounding areas, or to inquire about a no-cost in-home consultation to boost quality of life for an older adult you love.