Guide
What Is Homecare?
Homecare is the care given to an individual in their home by a professional caregiver assigned by a licensed healthcare organization. It is sometimes known as domiciliary care or in-home care because the individual receives all the care right in their home or place of residence. It usually comes with challenging tasks. This is usually provided for aging individuals or those who need some assistance.
Choosing a Home Care Help
“What Home Care agency should I choose?”
This question is often asked especially when people have a loved one who needs to be taken care of. The dilemma becomes quite intense. There are two ways you can choose a Home Care agency:
Self-Sourcing
This usually involves hiring a caregiver on your own. Those who take this approach usually resort to getting help from a family member, friend, or relative. This option is okay if the patient’s condition isn’t severe or the time duration isn’t that long. Else, this is usually a bad idea, the reason being that the person providing the help often has little to no training or skill needed to provide Home Care services. Many people go for this option because it is cheaper and you decide what kind of care to be provided.
Hiring A Professional From An Agency
There are Home Care agencies like First TLC that have a team of licensed medical practitioners and skilled caregivers who are willing and ready to provide you with all the necessary care. Unlike non-professional caregivers, a caregiver through an agency works based on a set of principles that lies within the terrain of operation. They also cover long-term responsibilities and can work anytime irrespective of an emergency. The agency always has someone who’d be available to meet your needs.
Questions to ask when choosing a Home Care Agency
When it comes to hiring a Home Care agency, there are certain questions that should guide your decision. Some of the crucial questions to ask yourself include:
- Is the Home Care agency licensed?
- Do they have licensed doctors and specialists?
- Are their nurses licensed and qualified for the job?
- Do they have trained, competent, and experienced caregivers?
- Do they have insurance plans?
- Can they be reached 24/7, should there be any emergency?
- Are all nurses and caregivers drug-screened?
- Can I decide who attends to my needs?
- Do you pay all your caregivers including taxes?
- Is your agency insured for accidents in the home?