{"id":3305,"date":"2018-07-19T21:12:00","date_gmt":"2018-07-19T21:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/assistinghands.com\/8\/?page_id=3305"},"modified":"2020-01-15T17:32:47","modified_gmt":"2020-01-15T17:32:47","slug":"choose-home-care-provider","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/assistinghands.com\/8\/illinois\/chicagoland-naperville\/choose-home-care-provider\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose a Provider of Home Care Services"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Take your time when choosing a in home care service provider<\/p><\/div>\n

So, your parent or a loved one has agreed that\u2019s it\u2019s time to look for home care. Next is looking for a reputable provider of elderly care services<\/a> for seniors in the comfort of their home.<\/p>\n

There are so many home care companies<\/a> out there and some are better than others. In the article below I will outline a few things to keep in mind when looking for an elderly care provider<\/a> to help you choose a good one the first time.<\/p>\n

Know what kind of care service you need <\/strong>\u2013 is this a companionship for a few hours a week or maybe a home aide is needed for light house keeping and cooking? Or maybe you need a caregiver 24\/7<\/a> because you parent or loved one is bed-bound?<\/p>\n

Home care companies offer all the above-mentioned services and more, but it makes sense for you to know what your needs are.<\/p>\n

But even if you don\u2019t know that\u2019s ok, too. That\u2019s a good chance to call a few home care companies up and ask them questions and gauge their overall performance.<\/p>\n

Tell them who you need care for and see what services they would suggest. Of course, call more than one care provider to establish a baseline and compile a short list of home care providers to invite for an in-home interview (called assessment).<\/p>\n

Ask for a list of referrals <\/strong>\u2013 reputable home care agencies would have plenty to share with you. And yes, they will only give you a list of happy clients and patients, I know that. Call them, anyway.<\/p>\n

Ask them about the care they needed, how knowledgeable their caregivers were and whether they would recommend the caregiving agency (you would sometimes be surprised of what you would hear).<\/p>\n

Ask them also if there were any extreme situations and how the care agency handled it (for example how fast they were to replace a caregiver that called off last minute).<\/p>\n

Also, ask the people on the referral list if they worked with any other home health care providers before or after the agency you are inquiring about and what made them over the other ones.<\/p>\n

Cost of Service and time minimums<\/strong>\u2013 home care from a reputable agency is not cheap for reasons I will get back to later. With that out of the way here\u2019s what you should ask them:<\/p>\n