4/16/2015 0 Comments Assisted Living in the private home: 20 questions for evaluating in-home care providersThe SF East Bay area is rich with in-home providers of non-medical care services for people who need “assisted living” but don’t want to move to communal housing. Some providers are agencies basically serving as match-makers, recruiting, hiring, and deploying caregivers. Some providers are hands-on caregivers who work directly with their clients, who pay them directly. If you’re evaluating a home-care agency or caregiver, these questions might help guide your interview process. Be sure to ask for several client AND personal references and contact ALL those reference people to ask how to make the most out of your interactions with the caregivers. Interview questions for in-home care agencies 1) How many years has your agency been caring for seniors in our community? 2) Can your agency provide me with documentation of liability coverage? 3) How do you check your workers' national and local criminal and driving records? 4) Are all your caregivers employees who are protected by Workers’ Compensation? 5) Are all your caregivers bonded and insured for theft? 6) What is your method for tracking caregiver arrival and departure times at a client’s home? 7) Do you provide “around-the-clock” telephone service? 8) What is your backup coverage if a caregiver cannot make it to work? 9) What is the minimum quantity of hours required per shift or per week or month? 10) Which “personal care” services do you provide, including bathing, toileting, and mobility assistance, and what kind of social or cultural activities will you enable? 11) What transportation services can you provide for clients and how much do you charge extra for driving or escorting on mass transit? 12) Does your agency have an office where I can meet your staff? 13) Do you provide a written document clearly describing care services, rates and special fees? 14) Is it possible to be assigned the same 1 or 2 caregivers for all visits? 15) Does your agency make periodic supervisory visits to a client’s home? 16) What is your written policy regarding client’s rights, your company’s code of ethics, Workers’ Compensation and HIPAA compliance? 17) Can you provide, rent, or sell emergency monitoring systems, medication solutions and other safety technology? 18) When can your agency provide a free in-home assessment so I can determine whether to work with you? 19) What happens when clients don't feel good about their assigned caregiver? 20) What homecare licenses or certifications do you hold? Interview questions for in-home caregivers 1) Can you provide 5 or 6 personal and professional references? 2) How much liability coverage do you carry on your business insurance policy? 3) How many years have you been a caregiver and why did you start? 4) Are you bonded? 5) What is your method for tracking and reporting arrival and departure times at a client’s home? 6) May I phone you any time during the week, or at night? 7) How many hours per week and which days would you available for me? 8) What is your backup coverage if you cannot work when scheduled? 9) How many hours are required at a minimum for a single shift? During a single month? 10) What type of "personal care" services do you provide, such as bathing, incontinence, and mobility assistance? 11) Do you drive clients in your car? What type of car? Can it hold a walker or wheelchair? 12) Do you work alone or with an assistant? 13) What recreational or cultural activities do you help clients enjoy? 14) Do you provide a written document describing your care services, rates and special fees? 15) What is your documentation explaining client’s rights, your code of ethics, and HIPAA compliance? 16) Please describe any challenging situation that you’ve had with a past client, and how you managed the situation? 17) Can you help me rent or buy emergency monitoring systems, medication management devices, and other safety technology? 18) Will you provide a free in-home assessment before starting service? 19) How quickly can you start work? 20) What type of homecare certification or licenses do you hold? For referrals to excellent SF East Bay in-home care agencies,
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AuthorLinda Jacobson, Eldercare Consumer Advocate & Technologist • Guide to assisted living communities • tech educator • neuroscience enthusiast Archives
September 2019
CategoriesAll Alternate Therapies Consumer Concerns Culture & Lifestyle Dementia Care Diet & Nutrition Health & Wellness Technologies For Better Aging |
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