Selecting a Home Care Provider 6/2010
What is Home Care?
Home care is a generic term that includes a wide range of health and social services. These services are delivered at home to recovering, disabled, chronically or terminally ill people who need medical, nursing, social, or therapeutic treatment and/or help with the essential activities of daily life.
Generally, home care is appropriate whenever a person prefers to stay at home, not in a hospital or other health care institution, but needs ongoing care that cannot easily or effectively be provided solely by family and friends. More and more older people electing to live independent, non-institutionalized lives are receiving home care services as their physical capabilities diminish. Younger adults who are disabled or recuperating from acute illness are choosing home care whenever possible. Chronically ill infants and children are receiving sophisticated medical treatment in their loving and secure home environments. Adults and children diagnosed with terminal illness also are being cared for at home, receiving compassion and maintaining dignity at the end of life. As hospital stays decrease, increasing numbers of patients need highly skilled services when they return home. Other patients are able to stay at home to begin with, receiving safe and effective care in the comfort of their own homes.
How do I select the right Home Care Provider?
Once you acquire the names of several providers, you will want to learn more about their services and reputations. Following is a checklist of questions to ask providers and other individuals who may know about the provider's track record. Their insight will help you determine which provider is best for you or your loved one.
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.
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?
What procedures does this provider have in place to handle emergencies? Are its caregivers available 24 hours a day, seven days a week?
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.
Contact each reference and ask:
- Do you frequently refer clients to this provider?
- Do you have a contractual relationship with this provider? If so, do you require the provider to meet special standards for quality care?
- What sort of feedback have you gotten from patients receiving care from this provider, either on an informal basis or through a formal satisfaction survey?
- How can I learn more about selecting a Home Care Provider?
Online, visit the National Association for Home Care’s web site at: http://www.nahc.org/Consumer/coninfo.html