Despite his mobility issues, he manages quite well on his own, but lately it seems he could use more help with everyday tasks like grocery shopping, making meals and doing laundry.  Pride keeps him from calling on you more frequently. Subsequently, his healthy eating and hygiene habits are on a decline. 

A range of home health care services are offered by agencies including:

• Skilled Care - At-home nursing or health care such as IV administration, wound care, monitoring vital signs, or other medical assistance that follows a doctor’s orders. This type of care is provided by (or under the supervision of) skilled or licensed medical personnel.   
• Custodial Care  - Non-medical assistance such as help with daily activities like getting dressed and bathing. This type of care also includes other household activities like preparing meals or vacuuming. This care is provided by non-licensed caregivers like nurses’ aides.
  

Key Point #1: Home health is care provided in your home which is either licensed medical care known as skilled care or custodial care which provides help with daily activities like getting dressed or bathing.

2. Why Choose Home Health Care?

Help at home is a common need for seniors like your dad. Home care services for seniors empower them to maintain their independence to “age in place” and remain in their homes.

Limiting their exposure to a stressful clinical environment, seniors who live in residential settings inherently reduce their risk of exposure to illness as well. Home care patients enjoy an improved quality of life supported by professional caregivers. They continue to enjoy the comfort of familiar surroundings with access to their three R’s: family, friends and fur babies! 

Key Point #2: Although community living provides big benefits, Home health care does allows seniors to age in place living at home and maintain their independence 

3. What are the different types of Home Care agencies? 

Depending on your state of residence, there are variations between Home Health and Home Care agencies. Generally, there are four different types of home care agencies that employ and manage home care service providers:

• Home Health Agency (HHA) - Provides Medicare certified at-home skilled nursing clinical care.
• Home Care Agency (HCA) - Provides a full range of custodial care services in their clients’ homes.
• Companionship, or Non-Medical Home Care Services Agency - Provides companionship or supervision and light homemaking services only.
• Hospice - Provides at-home care focused on quality of life for terminally ill patients 
  

Given the variety of senior home care agencies, it’s confusing to know where to start! The following steps will help guide your way to finding a qualified homecare provider.

Key Point #3: Home Health, home care, home care services, and hospice are 4 types of care which do everything from provide companionship to skilled medical care to terminally ill quality of life care.

We’ve highlighted some things to consider to help narrow down the search for a home care agency.  For starters, it’s a good idea to zero in on what kind of help your dad needs.

4. What are the categories of service home health provides? 

In general, services offered by home care agencies satisfy four different client needs:

• Physical - including personal assistance with bathing, getting dressed, or toileting
• Household - such as housekeeping, transportation, and preparing meals
• Healthcare - namely, medically-related care for specific illnesses or injuries
• Emotional - for companionship, conversation and social activities

Key Point #4: The 4 home health categories of care  are 1) Physical, like help with bathing, 2) Household, for example, help preparing meals 3) Healthcare, relating to medical care and 4) Emotional, things relating to companionship or social activities. 

5. How to find a home healthcare provider?

Gather a List of Local Home Care Agencies

Solicit the help of your favorite search engine for ‘home health providers near me’ or ‘best home health care agencies near me’ to gather a list of potential home care organizations that could provide the services that your dad needs. [You can also contact local agencies or departments on aging.]

Note the name of the agency and contact information. Website quality isn’t the best indicator of reputable and reliable service providers, so be conscious of passing judgement while assembling your list of candidates.    

Gather Data & Narrow the List

Now that you have your list, you can start calling agencies and inquire about the services they provide based on your dad’s needs list.

Some examples of initial questions to ask a home health care agency are:

• Can my loved one’s needs be met by your home care agency? (Refer his needs list from #1.)
• (If needed) Do you provide skilled nursing services to meet medical needs?
• Is your agency licensed, bonded and insured?
• What background checks do you perform on your caregivers?
• How long have you been in business?
• Who should I contact if I have further questions?

Check References and Gather Recommendations

Now that your list is shorter, take a deeper dive into researching your agency candidates. Do your due diligence by checking the licensing background of each company with the appropriate agency (typically state-governed).

The internet is a great source of reviews and licensing information, but be sure to check with the local Better Business Bureau and your department on aging for customer reviews and complaints. Ask friends and fellow parishioners for any recommendations.

Key Point #5: The first step in your search is to find a list of local home health care agencies, narrow down your list based on services providers, and check reviews and references. 

6. What to look for in the agencies? 

At this point in your search, it’s time to reconnect with agencies of interest and arrange for you and your dad to meet face-to-face with an agency representative.

Most interviews of this sort should be conducted at the home of the “patient”. Set up a time that’s mutually convenient for all, especially your dad.

While you’re on the phone with the agency, ask them for references, or request that they provide references at your meeting.

Plan Questions to Ask 

Your goal for the in-person interview with the agency’s representative should be focused on understanding four aspects of their agency:

• Services they provide
• Qualifications of caregivers
• Quality of Care provided by caregivers and
• Costs for their services.

Key Point #6: When evaluating agencies, find out 1) the services they provide 2) the qualifications of their caregivers 3) the quality of care provided and the cost of services.

7. Interview Candidates

It’s important to remind yourself and your dad that the purpose of the interviews are to find out more about the agencys’ services. You’re in charge! The representative may assess your father’s needs, but the agency isn’t interviewing you. You will decide together on the agency which best suits your dad’s needs and comfort level.

Some suggested interview questions to prepare are:

• Do you have a specific caregiver in mind for my father?
• What kind of experience does the caregiver have? Tell me more about him/her?
• What is the backup plan should the caregiver become unavailable (vacation/illness)?
• How does billing work with our insurance, Medicare, etc.?
• We’ve estimated that dad would benefit from x hours of assistance each week. Do you have a weekly hourly minimum?
  

The representative should be well-prepared to introduce you and your dad to their company’s services. It’s easy to get caught up in their presentation so pre-plan some questions to help guide the interview, addressing your dad’s specific needs.

If you meet with more than one agency, keep judicious notes to guide your decision process or to prompt follow-up questions. 

Key Point #7:  Interview agencies and ask specific questions such as how billing works, how many hours of care are provided each week, and what is the experience level of the caregiver.

8. Follow Up & Take Time to Make a Decision

Once you’ve met with all of your agency candidate representatives, you may have some follow-up questions. Reach out to your points of contact by telephone to get your questions answered. If you’d like a second visit or you and your dad would like to meet the caretaker they have in mind for the job, by all means arrange for it to happen!

Solicit your dad’s concerns or feedback on the interview process you just went through. His perspective on your selection carries a lot of weight. Frankly, he’s the ultimate VIP customer in this search!

Once your selection is clear, notify the agency and arrange a start date for dad’s caregiver!    

Key Point 8: Review your notes, review ratings, talk with your loved one and prepare for a follow-up meeting or interview prior to making the critical decision of which agency to hire. 

9. Financial Considerations

We’d be remiss if we didn’t note that financing home health care certainly needs consideration and probably has been discussed in the interview process. Not all services are covered by Medicare or private insurance.

There are a myriad of ways to pay for in-home service providers ranging from private funding to Medicare, private insurance and veteran benefits like Aid and Attendance.

Your selected agency will need to review and confirm your benefits before starting service. Immediately upon your agency’s request, provide your benefits information (with contact numbers) to assure that your in home provider can start promptly.

Key Point #9: Not all services are covered by medicare or insurance and the average monthly cost for home health is now just over $4,000 per month which can vary by location. 

10. Ease the Transition

Although he was involved in the selection process, your dad may have some apprehensions or anxiety about the first few days with his new caregiver. If possible, arrange for a family member to be at his home for the first days the caregiver is on assignment.

Initiate conversations with the new caregiver and your dad that will help them learn more about each other. It may take some effort, but find some commonalities that can be the foundation of their new relationship. For example, food and music are common bonds, so invite them to talk about favorite foods or music they enjoy.

On occasion, pop in unannounced to supervise when you know the caregiver is at your dad’s home. If you’re not satisfied with your dad’s caregiver performance or personality, ask the agency coordinator to correct the issue.

Your senior dad deserves the feeling of security and happiness that an attentive home care professional offers by tending to his needs, physical and emotional needs in the comfort of his own home!

Key Point #10: Ease the transition for your loved one by having conversations with your family, stopping by early on in the process and tending to your loved ones needs during the process.