Do your research
Finally, a quality employer agency providing home care workers will screen for suitability for the job, may do drug testing, and will train and supervise its workers. It will also replace them if one leaves suddenly. Many workers in this field have roots in other countries, and leaving the job for family emergencies or other reasons, to return to one's home country, is not uncommon.
The vulnerable elder who hires on one's own does not have the capacity to replace the worker as quickly as an agency can. Not all agencies are alike, and not all are employer agencies. Do your research on the agencies you are considering. Longevity in the field is a good sign. With the increase in need, new agencies are springing up rapidly to meet it, making it harder for the consumer to check on past performance of the agency.
Doing your own background checking is essential if the agency checks only your state. Ask about the training and supervision of caregivers. Not all agencies provide this. Some use certified nursing assistants, and some do not. We believe that the extra cost of using established employer-model agencies is well worth the security they can provide to keep elders safe.
Those agencies which place independent contractors only are out of the picture to monitor quality or to supervise the workers, once they are placed and the placement fee is collected. It is certainly much simpler for the agency to keep only independent contractors as workers, but is more risky for the recipient of services. In many instances, reliance on an elder's ability to monitor care, especially when the elder has cognitive impairment, does not make sense.
What's the takeaway message here?
Follow these tips, and enhance your chances of safely using a home care worker to help an aging loved one stay at home.
- Meet an aging loved one's resistance to help at home with the "humor me" approach (it's for your sake), and keep respectfully urging when you see the elder resisting.
- Use an established, employer-model home care agency to find a qualified home care worker for an aging loved one.
- Do your research on the agencies you are considering. Not all are employer agencies, and not all provide training and supervision. A supervised worker is safer for an elder.
Carolyn Rosenblatt is a registered nurse and attorney who has 40 years of experience. She is the author of “The Boomer’s Guide to Aging Parents.” Read her full biography