Most of us want to take care of our own families, so arriving at a decision to hire a stranger to come into the home to help with the care of a loved one can be difficult.
Still, once people find a good home care agency and regular caregivers to help care for a loved one, they often wish they'd taken action earlier.
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When is In-home Care The Best Option?
In-home care is a logical first step for someone who needs help for a few hours a day, say when the family caregiver is at work or otherwise unavailable. It's also a good choice for elderly spouses, when bathing and other heavy work is involved in caregiving. Hiring an in-home caregiver to do the literal heavy lifting, while the elderly spouse gives emotional support, is generally a workable option that helps people remain in their homes for a longer period of time.
Even the government is getting wise to the benefits of in-home care. Funding for in-home care, including veteran assistance, is getting more attention as our aging population needs care and government agencies are waking up to the fact that people staying at home longer is cheaper than if they go to a nursing home as soon as they need assistance. Let's hope this trend continues.
Questions to Ask a Home Care Agency
Here are some questions to ask a potential home care agency:
- Is the agency licensed and bonded and does it provide insurance for the employees, often known as worker's compensation?
- What services are available? You may only want bathing and grooming services. Or you may want someone for several hours of companionship and help with errands. Everyone is different in their needs. Ask what options are available. Some agencies only offer specific blocks of time, while others are more flexible.
- Will more than one caregiver come to my loved one's home? Just think of how you'd feel if you were elderly and alone at home when a stranger showed up and said, "I'm here to give you a bath." Wow! That sets you back, right? You need to be realistic in your expectations, but the care agency should be able to provide the same caregivers on a rotating basis so you and your loved one can get used to the people.
- What happens when the caregiver doesn't show up? Even agency caregivers get sick and you wouldn't want a sick person coming to the home. Is there backup staff? Yes, a different person than the one expected is unsettling, but probably not as much as no one showing up.
- Are these caregivers specially trained to work with Alzheimer's or dementia patients? While you may find an agency from time to time that specializes in only dementia patients, it would be unusual. However, agencies are increasingly aware that the need to train their caregivers to work with Alzheimer's patients is necessary. Most agencies are working on this training, but you should ask what they offer if you specifically want care for someone with Alzheimer's. You may even want to ask for certification or at least some evidence of this training in the form of references.