What you need to know about home healthcare

Generally, home care is appropriate whenever a person prefers to stay at home but needs ongoing care that cannot easily or effectively be provided solely by family and friends.

See comments below

PRINT    E-MAIL

Related service pros
Hire a tree guy
Top-rated roofers
Plumbers
Handyman services
General remodelers
All Home Services pros

Related advice
10 tips for hiring a contractor
Remodel or Move?
Maintaining your remodeling budget
All Home Services advice

What to ask

According to the National Association for Home Care, here are some questions to ask when searching for a home care provider:


• 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.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Nobody has commented on this article yet. Be the first. Submit your comment using the form below.

Comment on this article

Name:		You are not currently logged in.
Comments:
		*HTML not allowed. Comments will post within 5 minutes.