Your family realizes your parents need home care services. They’re not doing laundry by themselves. They’re struggling to cook meals. They’re forgetting to take medications or when they have appointments. Home care will help, but you’re not sure how to go about it.

The most important step is to come up with a list of questions that addresses everything you want to know. Gather the family and jot down everything you’re uncertain of or need to be clarified. These questions should get you started.

How Are Caregivers Screened and Trained?

Ask how caregivers are screened. Do background checks look at just that state’s arrest records or the records from every state? What drugs are screened for during a drug screening? Are drug screenings repeated randomly throughout the year?

Once a caregiver is hired, what training is provided? Do they have to go through training and then shadowing or do they receive minimal training and get right to work? Do the caregivers have any certifications or credentials that make them better candidates?

How Are Caregivers Monitored?

Once a caregiver starts working with an older adult, how is their quality monitored? Are surprise check-ins used to make sure the caregiver is keeping to the schedule? Is there any measure in place to ensure the caregiver isn’t taking shortcuts and claiming to have done something without really doing it?

Is continuing education offered? Do caregivers have the chance to advance themselves? If a caregiver wanted to get certified in dementia care, would that be possible?

What Are the Fees for Home Care?

How much does the home care cost? Are there hidden fees that may come in if your mom and dad suddenly demanded the caregiver do something that’s not on the usual list? Would you be asked before the caregiver or your parents add on care at a higher cost?

If the caregiver is sick and doesn’t show as expected, is the fee you pay discounted or are you still expected to pay? If there is no replacement immediately available, what happens then? Is the designated family caregiver going to have to take time off work to be there until a replacement caregiver arrives?

Take this list of questions with you when you call or visit a home care agency. Make sure your mom and dad get to add their own questions if they have any. As you start gathering information about home care, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if anything isn’t clear. It will make the process much easier for you and your family.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring  Home Care in Spartanburg, SC, contact Heart of the Carolinas Home Care at 864-991-3116. Providing Home Care Services in Greenville, Simpsonville, Greer, Anderson, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Seneca, Laurens, Charleston, Columbia and the surrounding areas.

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Edward Harrison

Founder at Heart of the Carolinas

Edward Harrison founded the Heart of the Carolinas Homecare in 2007 when he saw there was a need for caregivers that provide non-medical home care services, at a price that most people could afford. It was standard in the industry to require hourly minimums and it was common to be assigned a caregiver, not matched with one based on your individual personal needs. Edward understood that to make a successful relationship between caregiver and client, skills were not enough, personality and compatibility plays as much a role as do skills.

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