Choosing the right home health care agency is one of the most important decisions you will make for yourself or someone you love. Talk to several caregivers before making your decision. In an effort to simplify things, we’ve gathered this list of frequently asked questions. Our goal is to make your choice easier by providing answers to your questions.
Finding out who you’re hiring is best done through interviews. A caregiver or agency that can’t answer your questions within a timely manner or who refuses to answer them all together shouldn’t be left alone with the person you care for. A good caregiver will be transparent, educated, skilled, and caring. Below are a few questions dealing with compliance, safety, finances, and care.
How to Choose a Home Health Agency and Caregiver
Compliance
Integral to preventing fraud, waste, and abuse is compliance. Regulations, guidelines, and rules of the State, Federal, and accreditation agencies must be followed. Consider these compliance questions:
- Do you have Medicare and Medicaid certifications?
- Do your agency’s caregivers have bonds and insurance?
- What is your privacy policy?
- Can I have a copy of them?
Safety
Ensure your loved one is taken care of and that they don’t get injured due to neglect or negligence. A good hiring process is important when you select an agency. The more important aspect is that they promptly correct poor caregiver issues. Answering the following questions can help you determine how an agency hires and fires its employees.
- Describe your hiring and assessment process for caregivers.
- In what way do you conduct pre-employment screenings?
- Is there a second screening every year?
- What is your system for evaluating caregivers?
- What is the frequency of your caregiver evaluations?
- How does your caregiver receive training?
- In what manner should non-compliance be reported?
- Have you ever fired a caregiver?
- What are your emergency response strategies?
- Could you provide me with 2-3 references?
Care
It is important that you choose a caregiver who is not only skilled, but also compatible with your loved one. Make sure the quality of care provided is acceptable by asking these questions.
- What services do you offer?
- Do you have any notable awards to your agency’s credit?
- Is the same caregiver always assigned to my parent?
- In the event the caregiver is late or does not show up at all, what will happen?
- How will I handle it if the caregiver is not approved by my parent?
- Could I make special requests for someone who shares my parents’ interests?
Finances
Last but not least, make sure that the care you need is either covered by Medicare or your insurance and that you can afford the out-of-pocket expenses. Make certain you are prepared for the arrival of the bill by asking questions related to finances.
- Are my parents’ home health care costs likely to be covered by Medicare Part A?
- In what insurance plans do you participate?
- What is the insurance agency’s procedure for filing claims? Do I need to submit claims to them myself?
- How much is included?
- Excluded expenses include what?
Although it’s not an all-inclusive list, it’s a great place to start. If you plan to hire the agency or caregiver, you will want to be comfortable with their competence, experience, and level of care. Let us answer these questions at your convenience. Let’s talk!