IN THIS ARTICLE
01/ What are the qualifications of the aide?
As we get older, the likelihood of needing at home care increases. Whether it is temporary help to aid in completing activities around the house post-surgery, for example, or longer term assistance with personal care, it is important to do your research.
Since the aides are going to be in your home, after all, it’s vital that you know they are trustworthy and capable of doing the job you are hiring them to do.
To that end, there are 3 key considerations when hiring at home care assistance that are highlighted below.
1. What are the qualifications of the aide?
Whether you are hiring an aide through a home health agency or hiring an individual caregiver, it is important to know some key information about the aide.
If you choose to hire an individual caregiver through a site like Care.com or perhaps the recommendation of a friend, you will want to ask a series of upfront questions, like:
- Does the aide have credentials? (eg certified nursing assistant )
- Is he or she licensed?
- Does he/she know CPR/first aid?
- How long did he/she work with their last employer? Why did they leave?
- Does he/she have at least two references?
- Is he/she open to you running a background check on them?
If you are looking for someone to help you with errands and activities around the house, licensure and certification are probably not required.
However, if you are counting on the aide to assist with personal care, they should probably be both certified and licensed. It would also be helpful if the aide knew CPR and first aid.
Whether the aide is certified and licensed is one thing; a background check and references is another.
Since this individual will be in your home, it is advisable to complete a background check on them and to check their references.
There are companies that offer background checks with quick turnaround times and at inexpensive rates, like ClearChecks or Good Hire. Just be sure you have the aide’s full name, address, picture ID and SS number.
If you decide to go through an agency, you will still need to ask some important questions about the potential aide and about how the agency operates, like:
- Has a background check on the potential aide been completed? What type?
- Has the aide received training from the agency? What type?
- Who will be supervising the aide?
- Is the agency licensed? (most states require this)
- How will the agency handle it if the aide cannot show up one day? Will they send someone else out to help?
- How does the agency manage clients who are unhappy with an aide and want to have another aide?
2. What are the expectations of the aide?
Whether you are hiring from an agency or an individual caregiver directly, it can be helpful to have a clear written care plan prior to the commencement of services. The plan should detail:
- When services will begin (the start date)
- The hours the aide will work weekly
- What are the specific duties and responsibilities of the aide
The care plan should also detail the specific duties you would like the aide to help with. Some of the most common duties aides perform are listed below.
- Companionship – conversation and comfort of having someone else around, possibly driving to doctors’ appointments
- Personal Care- bathing, dressing, grooming; also, possibly cueing to take medications
- Household Assistance – light housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, grocery shopping, picking up medications, other errands
3. What are the Costs?
Another consideration when hiring home care is the expense. It is important to understand what the costs are and to ask all the questions you have upfront.
Contrary to popular belief, Medicare does not pay for home health services. The only exception to that is if you need skilled services like physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and/or skilled nursing service.
In that case, Medicare will pay for a home health aide to assist you with personal care on a very limited basis and only as long as the skilled services go on.
Since home care services are paid out of pocket (unless you have long-term care insurance) and can add up quickly, it is important to understand what the actual costs are.
Key Cost-Related Questions When Hiring from an Agency:
- Does the agency have a minimum number of hours per day they require you to have an aide?
- Do you get a cost break if you go from 2 hours per day to 4 hours or 4 hours to 6 hours?
- How frequently are you billed? Weekly? Monthly?
Whatever you do, get information on all costs and billing in writing.
Key Cost-Related Questions When Hiring an Individual Aide:
- What is the hourly rate of the aide?
- Does the aide expect to be paid for holiday, vacation days and/or sick days?
Additionally, consider whether you will need to pay payroll taxes for the aide.
Whether you need someone to provide at home care assistance on a temporary or ongoing basis, finding a home health aide that you can trust can make all the difference in your quality of life and in your wellbeing. And… hopefully asking the important questions upfront will save you time, money and aggravation down the line.
