5 Steps To Finding The Home Health Care Help You Need
Have your loved one’s health issues become so complicated that you cannot effectively care for them anymore? If you find yourself needing help to care for your loved one, you may be feeling overwhelmed and questioning where to begin. The following steps and the remainder of this article are designed to help you with this decision process.
5 Steps to Finding The Help You Need:
1. Contact other family members.
Get their opinions and ideas. Ask them to assist you in your information gathering, in visiting different organizations, and talking with agencies that can help.
2. Determine how you will pay for services.
Long Term Care Insurance, (in some cases) Medicare and Workers’ Compensation are options that may be available. Most agencies will discuss your options with you. Private pay is an option for some, or sometimes family members will pool their money to cover the cost.
3. Identify your options.
Investigate everything – from facilities, assisted living, to home care. Look for the problems and benefits in each situation.
4. Choose the best option.
Make your decision after gathering information and asking lots of detailed questions. Evaluate each organization carefully. And, if your loved one is able, discuss it with them. If staying at home in familiar surroundings is the best decision, then home care services can help. You’ll find the information in this article helpful in finding the best agency.
5. Identify the right agency to provide the best care.
There are a lot of agencies available to choose from. To ensure you find the best one for your situation, ask lots of specific questions – you can click here to learn what specific questions to ask.
Will Hiring An Agency Save Me Money?
You may experience “sticker shock” when you begin looking for someone to care for yourself or your loved one. You may wonder, “Why does it cost so much?” But when you consider the value and the services that a home care agency can provide, you understand why using an agency is the best and safest bet. Hiring an individual caregiver privately may not be as cost-effective as it seems.
Consider these facts:
The most significant component of an agency’s hourly rate is the amount that is paid to the caregiver. Caregivers usually earn $9.00 to $13.00 an hour, depending on their experience and skill level (caregiver, homemaker, home health aide or certified nurse’s aide). Agencies also assume responsibility for payroll taxes, Worker’s Compensation and general and professional liability insurance, which adds an additional 25 to 30 percent to the pay rate. They also provide backup caregivers when they are needed. Home care agencies also assume the costs of nursing and supervision costs, on-call or after hour staff, training and transportation costs. When you consider all the facts, it’s very easy to see:
Choosing a home care agency is indeed a good value for your dollar!
Most families don’t realize the legal responsibility of hiring caregivers directly. If someone is working for you and they are injured in your home, homeowner’s insurance does not protect you. No matter who you hire, even family members, you become an employer, which also means you are responsible for taxes and insurances. You may pay a little more for an agency, but you eliminate the worries of paying extra taxes and the risk of potential lawsuits. The quality of the caregiver you receive from an agency is directly related to the screening and hiring process.
As Americans age, the demand for caregivers is on the rise, so those who seek employment in the care-giving field have ample opportunity for employment. Hiring the best and most empathetic caregivers is a challenge that all home care agencies face. For example, at Health Care Associates, our application process is the result of many years of refining. We have seen thousands of people over the years and the screening process comes down to the application and the interview. And, of course, there are the standard police checks and references. . . in the end, we are dedicated to finding the best caregivers. Larry Treece, President at Healthcare Associates, explains, “Once they are hired, they do an orientation and spend time with a trained caregiver before starting with the client. Also, all our caregivers receive comprehensive, Caregiver Code of Conduct™ training. This exclusive training program emphasizes communication, etiquette and projecting a positive attitude.”
Where Is The Caregiver? I Need To Leave For Work!
Picture this: You need to leave for work or an important appointment, but you have a loved one at
home who is not safe alone. Your loved one needs medication or medical attention at a specific time in addition to assistance in performing daily tasks. But where is the caregiver you rely on to provide for your loved one? The caregiver has not arrived, and if you leave, your loved one could be in danger.
A caregiver who doesn’t show up for work is one of the most common problems that people face with the average home care agency. “It’s a problem that you will not experience with Health Care Associates due to our experienced and valued employees, and our company policies,” according to Larry Treece, President of Health Care Associates. “At Health Care Associates, we are proud that we have a number of excellent, reliable caregivers who have worked for us for many years. We also maintain a strict policy regarding absenteeism for our caregiving staff,” says Treece. “At Health Care Associates, the caregivers know that you are depending on them to care for your loved one.”
There are many options when looking into home care. It is important that you weigh all of these options and discuss potential next steps with family members. Remember to keep everyone involved.
It is not an easy process and navigating the maze of home health care can seem daunting at times. Education will be your greatest tool in discovering what your loved one needs and what option is best.