How will You Choose a Home Care Aide for Your Elderly Loved One?

It’s not necessary that aging would make your life difficult. Nowadays many ideas and businesses or groups have emerged which understand and work for the different needs of humans at different ages, and one of them is those who consider the needs of aging people. Homecare aide is such a person who helps an aging person to do their daily chores and allow her/him more independence, in the comfort of home of the aged person. This is a very good alternative to staying in a hospital, where the patient may feel awkward, at least not as comfortable as s/he may feel in her/his own home. However, when you are going to appoint a person to stay in your home with a person who is incapable of handling a difficult situation, you should take necessary precautions. Here are some.

First thing you should consider is to determine what degree of care is required. Home care services are of two types:

1. Skilled Care: This provides attention to the patient’s medical needs
2. Custodial Care: This provides assistance with routine life, like helping with shopping, housekeeping, preparing meals, and/or personal care, like bathing, eating, dressing up, etc.

Some agencies providing home care aides provide only one of these, while some others provide both. Different kinds of agencies may work together.

Questions to Ask Home Care Agencies

• Once you decide what level of home care your elderly loved one will need and find names of home care agencies, you need to prepare a list of questions which will ensure that you have chosen the home care aide carefully.
• Do they provide literature explaining their services, fees, eligibility criteria and funding sources? Several agencies provide care recipients with a thorough “Patient Bill of Rights” which states the rights as well as responsibilities of providers, recipients and caregivers. You can also ask for annual reports and other literature which can give you an insight about the agency.
• Look for a proven track record and references.
• For how long has the agency been in operation? Is it Medicare-certified and licensed by the state?
• Do they provide special care, like physiotherapy, if you need it?
• How do they select employees and train them? Do they perform background checks?
• Do they have documented benefits package, personnel policies and malpractice insurance? When the agency selects their employees carefully and offers them protection, proper policies and incentives, you have higher chances to get a dedicated and sincere aide.

You’re First LLC is a home health care in Houston TX which was founded due to one of their own loved ones’ requirement for care and companionship. Their ability to offer the highest quality care to their family member allowed them to stay in the comfort of home. Their unique approach to treat their clients like their own family members has earned them a great reputation in the home care industry.