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Home Care Assistance_ 4 Vital Tips For Finding The Best

Home Care Assistance: 4 Vital Tips For Finding The Best

Caring for a disabled loved one at home can be challenging. Finding good home care helps your family members and it gives them the support they need, as well as providing them their independence. Whether you already have care in place, or you are researching a business so you can get started with care, we have 4 key points you should consider when finding the best home care assistance.

Find Out How They Screen Staff

How a business checks staff matters, as it shows how professional and safe they are. Good businesses take time to screen their staff. They ask questions and check backgrounds because they want to find the best helpers. In your research, you will find that reputable businesses have rigorous vetting procedures in place for hiring their staff.

Here are key screening steps to ask about:

  • Initial Interview: An in-depth interview allows businesses to assess how well applicants would fit with the role and culture of home care assistance. They can evaluate qualities like compassion, patience, communication ability, problem-solving, etc.
  • Reference Checks: Good businesses call 2-3 people on an applicant’s list as references. They may be past bosses or friends. Talking to them helps businesses learn about an applicant. Are they reliable? Do they have integrity? What are their strengths and weaknesses?  Speaking to past employers helps confirm applicants’ reliability, integrity, strengths and weaknesses.  
  • Background Checks: Having a background check done can help reveal any past problems. Checking these red flags in a person’s past can help keep existing staff and clients of the business safe.
  • Skills Testing: Some businesses test staff more. They give written tests about the job, or they watch while their staff show skills, like helping people walk, changing sheets, or giving medicine properly. Tests check what applicants know and what they can do. By doing this, they can source the best helpers.

Are Staff Insured For Home Care Assistance

Depending if the staff are subcontractors this may be relevant. However, if staff are employees of the business providing home care assistance then they will be covered under the business’s insurance. Having insurance in place helps protect families against worst-case scenarios. Don’t risk a financial crisis by failing to ask about these coverages upfront.

Insurance covers incidents like:

  • Injuries – Slips and falls, cuts, medication errors. Insurance could help pay for medical care.
  • Emergencies – Hospitalisation due to accidents, heart attacks, etc.
  • Property Damage – Related to accidents, equipment malfunctions, fire, flood.
  • Auto – Accidents during transportation to appointments.
  • Theft – Whether money, valuables, or personal information, bonding covers financial losses.
  • Property damage – If a caregiver breaks or destroys belongings accidentally or intentionally.

Many home care businesses assume liability for their staff as their employees, so you will be fine in this case. But it is always good to think of these points if the unthinkable occurs, you can then recover damages without financial threat to your family. Don’t take chances when it comes to safeguarding assets and quality of care!

Look for Companionship and Engaging Activities

Caring for a disabled person involves far more than just handling physical tasks. Equally important is providing companionship and mental engagement. Social isolation and boredom can be detrimental emotionally and physically.  

When interviewing businesses, ask specifically how their caregivers and staff work to engage with clients actively. Quality home care assistance providers don’t just approach cases clinically. They take a holistic perspective focused on quality of life.

Here are examples of companion-focused duties to ask about:

  • Conversation – Chat about family, interests, current events, reminiscing.
  • Game Playing – Cards, puzzles, word games, trivia, bingo, etc.
  • Media Engagement – Reading books, newspapers, and magazines together, watching favourite TV shows or movies.
  • Outings – To museums, parks, shopping centres, and places of worship.
  • Reminiscing – Sharing mementos, old photos, discussing memories.
  • Schedule Tracking – Helping keep track of grandkid’s activities, doctor appointments, and medications.
  • Skill Building – Arts, crafts, scrap booking, journaling.
Home Care Assistance

Some caregivers or staff only clean and help with basic duties. But people need to talk and have fun too, or they can get lonely. When hiring, say what your loved one likes as this makes it easier to match them with a caregiver ‘friend’.

Discuss Medical and Physical Needs Upfront

Failing to disclose health conditions fully, mobility limitations, and medical needs upfront can have major consequences down the track. Don’t just assume businesses that provide home care services will just figure out what your loved one requires. Have an explicit conversation detailing all care considerations.

Provide Specific Information Like:

  • Health Conditions – Some conditions to look out for can range from depression, asthma, diabetes, stroke, and obesity.
  • Physical Abilities – Detail mobility (walker/wheelchair needed), balance issues, limb limitations, hearing/vision loss.
  • Personal Care Needs – Incontinence care, bathing, dressing, grooming, oral care, feeding assistance.
  • Medical Treatments – Wound cleaning/dressing, injections, physical therapy exercises, oxygen or medical equipment help.
  • Medications – List all prescriptions, over-the-counter meds, vitamins, and supplements requiring administration. Include the diagnosis of each one treated.
  • Cognitive Function – Explain mental sharpness, memory loss, disorientation, and mood disorders.

Writing down all your needs for home care assistance is key. It prevents gaps between what helpers can do, and what your loved one requires daily. Providing this information up front keeps people safe and it helps to protect your family member and the caregiver. Not sharing everything or a lack of transparency could put people in danger or at risk.

Final Tips

Choosing home care assistance for a disabled loved one requires diligence and patience. While it can feel overwhelming, take your time researching. Once you find the right business that employs thoughtful, capable professionals, you’ll gain priceless peace of mind.

If you are struggling to ask the right questions when looking for a provider, feel free to get in touch as we can answer any questions you may have.