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Starting the search for professional home health care services can be overwhelming with so many choices to navigate. United Home Healthcare is here to help with tips for choosing an Indiana home health care partner, whether you are looking for skilled care or homemaking assistance (also known as custodial care).
- Skilled Care: Provides for medical needs
- Homemaking Assistance: Helps with housekeeping, shopping, meal preparation and the like-or personal care, such as bathing, dressing, and feeding.
Some home health care agencies only provide one type of care; others may cover both types. Some home health care companies may work together to provide an integration of services for patient care.
Once you determine the type of care your loved one needs, it’s time to start researching agencies near your loved one. Narrow your list of possible choices to 3-5 that specialize in the area(s) you need. It’s overwhelming to look at a huge list and try to compare. Now on to interviewing and evaluating the agencies. Here’s a few tips to help you ask the right questions about home health care services.
Top 7 Tips for Comparing Home Health Care Services:
- Find out how your loved one’s doctor and you are involved in care decisions. Does the agency have case managers, nurses or therapists who are required to evaluate your loved one’s home health care needs?
- Ask questions about how each agency selects, background checks and trains its employees.
- Ask if caregivers are available 24/7 and ask what happens if an assigned aide is unable to come.
- Find out what the financial procedures are for the agency and if each is Medicare certified.
- Ask if a patient’s care and course of treatment are documented always. How is it documented?
- Inquire how each agency handle emergencies.
- Finally ask each agency to supply you with a list of references (doctors, discharge planners, clients, family members of client and community partners).
Are you ready to tackle your review of Indiana home health care agencies? Why not start with United Home Healthcare? We offer a free health assessment for your loved one to see if our services are a fit for you.
Contact us today to find out more and schedule your free home health care assessment.
Learn more about our home health care services.
