Things to consider when choosing your
Home Healthcare Agency
Home Healthcare Agency
- Is the Home Healthcare Agency locally owned and managed or is it operated by a national corporation?
- What type of services does the agency offer? Review the list of services.
- Are the day-to-day service issues handled locally or do you have to call an 800 number for changes to your schedule?
- Who handles your questions, concerns, or complaints? Think about visiting the Home Healthcare office to meet the staff.
- Is the Agency exclusively Pediatrics or does the agency provide Adult care as well?
- Pediatrics is a healthcare system specialty. You want to make sure you have a Pediatric trained nurse attending to your loved one.
- How are potential nurses screened by the Home Healthcare Agency?
- Are criminal background checks, reference checks, and appropriate credentialing performed?
- How are new nurses’ in-serviced regarding the care of your loved ones?
FAQs
Home Health, in its simplest definition, is care provided to individuals at home rather than in a hospital, inpatient unit or physician’s office. The care provided typically consists of part-time or intermittent skilled care which may include nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Additional services such as those of a medical social worker or Home Health Aide may be provided. Oftentimes patients who receive Home Health services are homebound.
The goal of Home Health Care is to provide service to a child with a disability or treat an illness or injury such that the patient is able to regain their independence as much as possible. Some examples of skilled Home Health services might include:
- Wound care
- Dispense medicines and Injections
- Monitoring and on-going treatment regime associated with a serious illness or unstable health status
- Patient and primary caregiver training and education
Simply contact us and our case manager will discuss your Home Care needs.
The cost of non-medical home care varies depending on where you live and the amount of care you will need. The best way to budget for home care is to determine the number of hours you will need per week.
According to the “Cost of Care Survey”, an annual report by a well-known agency, home care costs less than other options like adult daycare, assisted living, and skilled nursing. In fact, the national average cost of home care per hour is $20 per hour, but again this can vary depending on the type of care you need and your geography. The agency also reports that the cost of home care services increased by 2.56% Since 2016.
The primary sources of payment for Home Health Care are Medicare and Medicaid plans, however, most private insurance plans also provide accommodation for some form of Home Health Care.
There are many important factors to consider in choosing the best agency to meet your needs, the most important of which is to first determine the types of services you or your loved one will need.
If you chose a nonprofit home health care or agency, then you receive care regardless of your complexity of condition or ability to pay. Nonprofit home health care agencies also provide a variety of community-benefits and by using them you are also giving back to your community.
When selecting an agency, it is important to ask the appropriate questions during your initial meeting. Below is a list of sample questions:
- How many years has the agency been serving your community?
- Does the agency offer print material describing its services and costs? (i.e. brochures, flyers)
- Is the agency an approved Medicare provider?
- Is the agency accredited? In other words, has their quality of care been surveyed and approved by an outside accrediting organization (such as CHAP or Medicare)?
- Is the agency licensed by your state (if required)?
- Does the agency provide patients with a “Bill of Rights” that outlines the rights and responsibilities of the agency, patient, and caregiver alike?
- Is there a written plan of care for the patient’s treatment that the patient, physician and family participate in developing?
- Is this plan updated over the course of the treatment?
- Does the patient get a copy of the plan?
- Does the agency staff educate the family members on the care being administered to the patient and ways they can assist?
- Is the patient’s course of treatment documented, detailing the specific tasks to be carried out by each professional? (i.e. medicines, exercises, daily activities)
- Are supervisors assigned to oversee care to ensure that the patient receive quality treatment?
- Are agency caregivers available seven days a week?
- Does the agency have a nursing supervisor on call and available 24 hours a day?
- Does the agency ensure patient confidentiality? How?
- How are agency employees hired and trained?
- Does the agency require criminal record background checks and communicable disease screens for its employees?
- What is the procedure for resolving issues that may arise between the patient/family and home healthcare staff?
- Who can you call with questions or complaints regarding patient care, caretaker issues or general questions?
- What happens if a staff member fails to make a scheduled visit?
- What should the patient do in this situation?
- Who does the agency call if the agency caretaker cannot come when scheduled? (i.e. patient or family member)
- What is the agency caretaker required to do? (i.e. inform patient, reschedule)
- How does the agency handle billing? (i.e., will I be billed for services?)
- Will the agency provide a list of references?
A caregiver is a person who assists a child who has a physical or mental impairment. The mother-father or other adult in the home may qualify as primary caregivers in some cases.
Some examples are taking someone to the doctor or shopping; assisting him or her with taking medicine; providing emotional support; and/or assisting with bathing or dressing. You do not have to be living with the person or providing 24-hour care to be considered a caregiver.
LaLa Home Health Care Solutions performs a thorough screening on each patient care employee including:
- Professional license check, if applicable
- Criminal background check including fingerprinting
- Driver license check
- Two business and one personal reference required
All patient care employees are fully licensed or certified, as well as insured, bonded, and CPR-certified. LaLa HCS’s uses eLearning educational programs to keep our staff current in their skills and knowledge. Each employee goes through an extensive orientation and training program upon hire and is assigned to a preceptor who closely monitors the employee’s progress.
No problem, let us know and we will place someone who better suits you and your family.
No, these Home Health Care services are in addition to nursing or any other services that may be provided.
For most families the answer is yes.
PAS – Personal assistant services provide personal care for your loved ones including help with hygiene, dressing, feeding, activity, and daily living.
We help you determine the assistance your family is eligible to receive.
The services you need are provided by a caregiver on our staff or a loved one/friend who is not living in the home with the client.
Simply contact us or your case manager.
What if more than one person in the home needs personal care assistance (PAS)? That is absolutely ok. The process is the same. However, depending on how many hours are allotted, you may have more than one caregiver in your home.
Home Health, in its simplest definition, is care provided to individuals at home rather than in a hospital, inpatient unit, or physician’s office. The care provided typically consists of part-time or intermittent skilled care which may include nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Additional services such as those of a medical social worker or Home Health Aide may be provided. Oftentimes patients who receive Home Health services are homebound.
Anywhere from two weeks to thirty days.
This is determined by your insurance company and what their evaluation has determined is necessary. For many, it is for one year at a time.
No, the caregiver cannot be a person living in the home. Some people use family, loved one living nearby, friends or neighbors.