Here are five questions to ask when selecting an agency:

Common home care services include bathing, dressing, feeding and preparing meals, transferring from bed to wheelchair and back, and transportation to appointments. For instance, if your father needed help shaving his mustache and making dinner, he wouldn’t need specialized care – just standard home care services. You’ll also need to assess how often your loved one will require care; they may only need home care services twice a week.

2. How Much Do Your Services Cost?

In-home care is typically paid for out-of-pocket. However, there are many ways to do so, such as long-term care insurance. A representative of the home care company you are interviewing can help you and your loved one decide which way is best.

3. How Do You Hire Caregivers?

By choosing the home care route, you have a decision: caregiver agency or caregiver registry. Since you are selecting an agency, finding the caregiver is handled by the company, which makes it easy for you. The company will insure the caregiver in case of an accident, pay the caregiver, handle taxes and control scheduling. You can rest assured that all the details are being managed. With an agency, you also have the ability to request different caregivers, if needed, without dismissing them yourself.

Since you won’t be hiring the caregiver, you should inquire about the company’s hiring process for caregivers: What qualifications do applicants need to become a caregiver? Are they certified? Do they need to pass a background check or drug-screening?

4. Are Your Caregivers Trained for Specific Conditions?

Does your loved one have a chronic or complex medical condition?  When caregivers are trained to address certain medical conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, it increases the quality of care your loved one receives. Caregiver training could be online classes with tests or in-person sessions. Of course, you should also inquire about their hiring and screening processes.

The best agencies have a registered nurse oversee the caregivers and write out the care plan that details what services your loved one will receive and when they will happen during the week, including any condition-specific care.

5. When Can I Call Your Office if I Have Concerns or Questions?

The correct answer should be 24/7. There should always be a person ready to help you at any time.  Should you have a medical emergency, always call 911 not the agency.

Finding a home care company for your loved one isn’t challenging when you have the right tools. So, download our Ultimate Home Care Planning Guide that addresses all aspects of home care and gives you everything you need to know.