How to Choose an Agency
All home health and personal care agencies are registered with the state’s Health and Human Services Division (in Texas, previously called DADS-Department of Aging and Disability Services) and are reviewed every two years. Administrators must complete yearly training.
Ask if the agency performs QA (Quality Assurance) checks every 90 days to ensure care is
appropriate to the clients’ needs/preferences.
Agencies should have general liabilities insurance, which is used if either the caregiver or client encounter physical injuries (Calma, 2017). Injuries sustained by an agency-employed caregiver are covered by worker’s compensation.
Professional liability is another kind of insurance home health agencies should carry. It covers issues related to the company’s policies and procedures. Transporting clients also has its own set of liabilities. If personal auto insurance (the caregiver’s or the client’s) does not cover the damage, a separate non-owned auto insurance policy is crucial (Calma, 2017). Bonding is criminal coverage and covers theft or any kind of criminal activity on the part of the caregiver.
Agencies are in business to make a profit, not for the client.
Caregivers make $8-12 hour; agencies typically charge $18-$30.
Rate charged does not necessarily reflect quality of caregiver.
Check with the Better Business Bureau.
Use referrals from friends and neighbors.
Interview the agency’s owner and ask for references.
Is the agency licensed, insured, and are caregivers bonded? Do they run background checks?
Is a person available to answer the phone 24/7/365?
Ask about hourly rates, minimum number of hours required per shift, holiday rates and what
constitutes holiday rate periods (evenings before holidays may be at the holiday rate, ex. Easter evening), and the dates and times available for scheduled caregivers. Also ask if you will be billed for an entire shift if the carer leaves early.
What training is required of caregivers? Does your agency require additional annual training?
Make sure caregivers have hands-on CPR and first aid training. This may not be a
requirement for employees at all agencies.
How much notice is required in advance for scheduling care?
Do you transport clients? Am I charged to use my own vehicle? How are charges determined?
By the mile, hour, or both?
Are they insured for transporting?
Does someone need to be in the home in addition to the caregiver and client?
Will the same caregiver be providing services on a regular basis?
It is helpful to ask what experience the caregiver has had.
What types of diagnoses/clients have you cared for?
How do you handle people who are stubborn? Angry? Fearful?
Anything in your job description that you are not comfortable doing?
Ask if the caregiver has physical limitations/medical conditions that apply to
lifting, transferring, and/or supporting the patient.
Will you keep daily records?
State caregiver preferences – older vs. younger, male vs. female, etc.
Sources:
Personal experience.
Calma C. How to safeguard agencies from common home health liabilities. Home Health Care News, August 24, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2018 from https://homehealthcarenews.com.