It seems like whenever we turn on the TV, there is another advertisement for a Home Care agency. Home Care has become a valuable service for seniors who live at home who may need help with some of the daily tasks like bathing, dressing, grooming, or meal preparation. You might need help with light housekeeping or laundry. Also, a Home Care agency can be a wonderful service that takes you out for errands like grocery shopping, or even just having a companion to talk to.
One of the biggest questions I get asked by families is how to select the right Home Care Agency. Hiring the right home care agency is a huge thing. Their caregivers will be with your senior loved one several times per week. They will likely be helping them with tasks they cannot do by themselves, and they will have that watchful eye when you aren’t able to be there for your loved one.
It is confusing to families — so many companies out there, and they all seem like two sides of the same coin. They may help with the basic tasks that need to be done in the non-medical care of your senior loved one, but their approaches can be different.
On TV, most, if not all of these advertisements are likely from large franchise organizations that have advertising budgets to afford national advertising. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we pretty much have them all here. They are independently owned franchises, who have been trained by the parent company. They have marketing support, and also their “brand” is the corporation that they are a franchise with. They pay in to the parent company on a monthly basis.
There are, however, independent agencies here. They are usually founded by an individual who simply opened this agency because their individual passion and desire is to work with Seniors. They usually have extensive eldercare backgrounds, and they have the heart and passion behind everything they do. No, their marketing may not be as fancy, but they offer the same type of service, and likely for a little lower fee, due to the fact that they don’t have to pay franchise fees. Their vision and passion emanate throughout their staff.
In my personal experience, I have mostly been a strong proponent for independently own home care agencies, but of course, there are many franchises that are great too. Learning about the agency’s owner/founder will likely tell you a lot about the organization you are working with. Also, if you want a service that is a little less “corporate” and a little more personal, then go with an independent Home Care agency.
Every agency has a little bit different philosophy when it comes to serving seniors. Here are ten critical questions you might wish to ask when interviewing them:
- What is your minimum time per week? Is it 2 hours? 4 hours? How many days? 1? 3?
- Do they work as a team or assign an individual caregiver? This is a matter of choice for families. I usually recommend a “team” approach because it eliminates your loved one getting attached to one person. If that person leaves their job, then it can be overwhelming to get them to adjust to another person caring for them.
- What hours do they provide home care? Do they have a 24-hour service? If not, what hours are they available?
- How they monitor and how often do they train their caregivers? Do they provide ongoing training? If so, how often?
- What is their screening process to find caregivers? Do they do background checks on their caregivers? If so, what is their procedure? How many caregivers do they have in their employ?
- Ask for references. They should be able to provide 2-5 references that you can check out.
- Check out their Social Media! By going on Google or Yelp you should be able to read reviews from previous and current clients they have
- How do they bill and arrange payment? Do they have a document that outlines all the fees that they charge? Read the fine print!
- What are their procedures for emergencies? Do they have plans in place to deliver services in a power failure or winter storm?
- Who is the primary contact for your family members? Do they offer ongoing consultation or conferences to stay in the loop on your senior loved ones’ needs and health issues?
I cannot stress enough to set up a relationship with your agency of choice BEFORE it is needed. There may be a day someday that you or your loved one may need care, and that is the worst time to “begin” the interview process.
By setting up a relationship in advance, you can have peace of mind that when that day may come, that someone is always there to help on a temporary or more permanent basis.
Home care can be an incredible way to keep you safe in your home for a longer period of time. It can be a great way to reduce the stress of the adult child who may be working a full time job and also who may be caring for their own family at home.
Financing Home Care
In most cases, home care will run the average senior about $200-$350 per day. Coming three days per week, it will run about $2500 per month. If your senior loved one is on a fixed or low income and unable to afford the cost, there are additional ways to get home care paid for.
- COPES- Medicaid:
COPES, for short, is a Washington State Medicaid (Apple Health) waiver program designed to enable individuals who require nursing home level care, to receive that care in their home or alternative care environment, such as an assisted living residence. If your loved one is a low income senior, an additional question to ask is if they accept Medicaid as payment.
- Aid and Attendance Benefits:
If your loved one or their spouse served a minimum of only three days in wartime in the military, AND they require just two of the seven official “activities of daily living” they likely will qualify for tax-free Veterans’ Aid and Attendance Benefits. Aid and Attendance benefits can provide the following:
Surviving Spouse: $1209 Monthly
Single Veteran: $1881 Monthly
Married Veteran: $2239 Monthly
Two Veterans Married: $2984 Monthly
- Long Term Care Insurance:
If your doctor qualifies you or your loved one in needing help with activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing, then in most cases, their long-term care policy should cover a portion of their home care needs.
The key is to reach out to someone who can help you determine the right fit for you. Most of our listeners know our very own Daphne Davis, from Pinnacle Senior Placements who will help you navigate this step. Her services are absolutely free! This is a very important time to reach out to her to help to begin this process. You can reach Daphne at: 855.734.1500.
