Finding a Provider - A Brief Overview of Senior Home Care
Before getting into the industry, I was unaware of the non-medical in-home care Dallas issues that come with finding an in-home caregiver. At this point, you can interact with the caregiver to see if he or she would be a good fit (3).Hiring Privately Requires a Level of CommitmentIf you decide not to go through a full-service agency (or benefit from the basic screening method from a referral agency), you now have quite a few responsibilities on your plate in order to find a senior care provider that will prove reliable. You will have to conduct an interview, a criminal history background check, an elder abuse and sex offenders registry check, a reference check (request a minimum of three), a motor vehicle record check, communicable disease screening (it's recommended that caregivers receive a Hepatitis B vaccine prior to employment), as well as verify documentation of the caregiver's certification (4).Ideally, once you find a senior care provider you're happy with, you should provide the newly-hired caregiver with a detailed job description outlining job title, purpose, duties and responsibilities, necessary qualifications of caregivers, Americans with Disabilities job specifications, supervision of caregiver designation, and initial training requirements (5). Have the caregiver sign and date this document and keep a file saved in a safe place. All caregivers in a home should receive proper training, with you demonstrating the details of each responsibility as well as tasks that must be carried out on a daily basis. Usually, not all family members or friends will be able to demonstrate all the necessary senior homecare requirements. Often, it is this inability to carry out some required tasks that prompt a family member to find a senior care provider and hire a professional. Ensuring that the family member or friend is the point-person needs to be done from the start, and what the family member or friend doesn't know the caregiver should. In the case of an agency hire, however, the supervisor will be able to determine what exactly the care recipient needs and who can help. At all points, the family member or friend needs to be in the loop and needs to coordinate with the senior homecare agency and/or caregiver on a regular basis.
Furthermore, do not neglect training on OSHA regulations for tasks such as rigorous hand washing, dealing with human waste, and personal hygiene as well as providing supplies in order to comply fully with these precautionary cleanliness measures (6). Choosing to find a senior care provider on your own comes with many responsibilities, but you ultimately have more control in the decision.Paying for the High Cost of Senior Home careOne of the major issues concerning senior home care is affordability. Searching and interviewing to find a senior care provider or agency (regardless of the channel you use) is a costly expenditure. With the annual amount of senior home care costing an average of $52,560 (7), it's no wonder that few can afford this luxury. While home care is most frequently a private pay situation, there are options, such as paying with long-term care insurance policies or even finding a trusted family member or friend to watch over the elderly individual. Make sure you research your senior homecare options fully before making any decisions though. Become more informed, be proactive, and, above all, be firm and prepared when making decisions to find a senior care provider. This way you'll ensure that you've made the best choice!Sources1. Gilbert Guide2. Gilbert Guide3. privatedutyhomecare.org4.
