Professional Home Care Services for Seniors

Most seniors want to live at home, and that’s usually what their families want, too. Difficulties arise when a senior’s care needs go beyond what a home caregiver can provide. In the past, this situation often meant finding a nursing home for the senior, but these days there are other options. Many seniors can remain at home thanks to the wide range of companion care and home healthcare services now available.

• Companion Care: This term is used to describe a broad range of non-medical services. Care plans are tailored to the needs of the individual both in terms of hours of coverage and actual services. Coverage times can range from a few hours per day, one or more days per week, all the way to round-the-clock live-in support. Available services typically include companionship, meal planning and preparation, transportation, light housekeeping, medication reminders, errands, bill paying, and personal care such as assistance with bathing and grooming. Companion care can be used by itself or in conjunction with home care provided by a family member.
• Home Healthcare: This care is provided by healthcare professionals, such as nurses, physical and occupational therapists, medical social workers, dieticians, technicians and medication managers. Services range from vital signs checks, blood draws and physical therapy to specialty offerings such as home dialysis. Healthcare services are typically ordered and supervised by a physician. There is usually very little overlap in the services of companion care and home healthcare providers.

As general guidelines for selecting professional home care services providers, the National Association for Home Care -> http://www.nahc.org/ <- offers these recommendations:

Once you acquire the names of several providers, you will want to learn more about their services and reputations. Following is a checklist of questions to ask providers and other individuals who may know about the provider's track record. Their insight will help you determine which provider is best for you or your loved one.

• How long has this provider been serving the community?
• Does this provider supply literature explaining its services, eligibility requirements, fees, and funding sources? Many providers furnish patients with a detailed “Patient Bill of Rights” that outlines the rights and responsibilities of the providers, patients, and caregivers alike. An annual report and other educational materials also can provide helpful information about the provider.
• How does this provider select and train its employees? Does it protect its workers with written personnel policies, benefits packages, and malpractice insurance?
• Are nurses or therapists required to evaluate the patient's home care needs? If so, what does this entail? Do they consult the patient's physicians and family members?
• Does this provider include the patient and his or her family members in developing the plan of care? Are they involved in making care plan changes?
• Is the patient's course of treatment documented, detailing the specific tasks to be carried out by each professional caregiver? Does the patient and his or her family receive a copy of this plan, and do the caregivers update it as changes occur? Does this provider take time to educate family members on the care being administered to the patient?
• Does this provider assign supervisors to oversee the quality of care patients are receiving in their homes? If so, how often do these individuals make visits? Who can the patient and his or her family members call with questions or complaints? How does the agency follow up on and resolve problems?
• What are the financial procedures of this provider? Does the provider furnish written statements explaining all of the costs and payment plan options associated with home care?
• What procedures does this provider have in place to handle emergencies? Are its caregivers available 24 hours a day, seven days a week?
• How does this provider ensure patient confidentiality?
• In addition, ask the home care provider to supply you with a list of references, such as doctors, discharge planners, patients or their family members, and community leaders who are familiar with the provider's quality of service.

Contact each reference and ask:

• Do you frequently refer clients to this provider?
• Do you have a contractual relationship with this provider? If so, do you require the provider to meet special standards for quality care?
• What sort of feedback have you gotten from patients receiving care from this provider, either on an informal basis or through a formal satisfaction survey?
• Do you know of any clients this provider has treated whose cases are similar to mine or my loved one's? If so, can you put me in touch with these individuals?

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