Tips for Choosing a Qualified Home Care Provider

It's a difficult task for a lot of people. Because it is not pleasant to think about parents or family members becoming ill or needing medical help, many persons avoid planning in advance for those possibilities. When they suddenly have a need for home care, they don't know where to start in choosing a private duty provider.

Be sure to ask the same questions of each prospective service. You can then compare responses "apples-to-apples", and that should help in making the right choice. The seven questions below address some of the most important areas of consideration:

Experience of principals

Who owns the staffing service and what background does the owner or owners have in the healthcare or medical staffing field?

Length of time in business

When was the service established?

Licensing and professional associations or organizations

Is the service licensed in your state, and is it affiliated with any recognized healthcare, private duty or home care staffing organizations?

Screening of employees

How are the service's employees screened for appropriate medical skills and certifications, and what type of background checks are conducted?

Tenure of employees

On average, how long have its private duty workers been employed with the staffing service?

Testimonials of private duty clients

Can the service provide testimonials or references attesting to the quality and level of service they have provided to other clients?

Client intake process

How are the needs of the patient assessed and what type of care plan is prepared to record shift activities and make sure there is clear communication with patient and family throughout the term of care?