If you're looking into hiring a home health care service for a loved one, then of course you want to find one that's compassionate, reliable, and experienced. However, with so many home health care services available these days, it can sometimes be a challenge to find the one that's right for your loved one's needs and budget. Read on to explore a few of the most common mistakes good-intentioned people make when hiring such a service and learn how to avoid making them yourself.
Trusting a Huge Company
The larger the company you go with for your home health care service needs, the more caregivers they're likely to employ. The more caregivers employed, the more likely it is that your loved one will be seeing a different person every day. Why is this a problem? In many cases, those who need home health care services benefit greatly by sticking to a strict routine. When a different caregiver is showing up each day, it can be startling and difficult for them to get used to the idea.
Instead, try to stick to a smaller company that can guarantee your loved one will be seeing the same one or two caregivers on a regular basis.
Relying on Them to Provide Backup Care
Things happen. Your loved one's caregiver could suddenly become very sick, get involved in a car accident, or otherwise be unable to show up. Unfortunately, you can never really assume that your home health care service has backup plans in place for such circumstances unless you ask them ahead of time and get it in writing. Make sure that, in the event that your loved one's regular caregiver is unable to show up, they'll inform you right away and make other arrangements that won't impact your loved one's schedule.
If you choose a company without such backup plans in place, make sure that you or another close family member is always prepared to intervene and care for your loved one if needed.
Not Checking References
No matter how reputable a home health care company may seem, it's always a good idea to personally ask for a list of references and check them for yourself. It's not enough to be given a list of references if you don't know that they're legitimate. Yes, it'll take a bit more effort on your end to check them all, but it'll be worth it in the long run when you have the peace of mind you need.
Visit a home health center like Sunrise Home Health for more information.
Share19 November 2014
