You Have the Right to Choose Your Home Health Care Service Provider
Finding a home care company for yourself or a loved one can seem like a daunting process, but finding a company with carers that offer the highest standard of care and align with your values as well as stay within your budget doesn’t have to be complicated, here’s some advice to help you through the process..
Begin your search by identifying your home care needs and determining the level of care that’s required. To do this, it is important to understand the two basic levels of care – home health care and non-medical home care.
There are many similarities between home health agencies and homemaker/companion service providers (many organisations provide both types of care), but this guide focuses on the process of hiring non-medical home care services that are paid for privately. Once you have a general idea of what services you and your loved one would benefit from, you can begin contacting providers in your area to conduct interviews, get a feel for the staff, and gather information to help you make an informed decision.
Request Cost Information
The first question most families ask when contacting a provider is, “How much do you charge?” There is a great deal of information that must be exchanged during an initial phone call or consultation to get to this answer. Since home care services are personalised for each client with the creation of a care plan, an accurate quote might not be able to be given immediately without an interview, a review of the home, and the services needed. Sometimes social workers and GPs will also need to be involved. Companies should however be able to provide a range of hourly rates for reference and begin a conversation to learn more about the care recipient and their unique care needs.
Remember, it is your right to choose your home health care provider.