Tips for Choosing an In-Home Caregiver

It’s never an easy task selecting someone to care for those you love, especially when you are entrusting this person with the care of one of your elderly parents or relatives. When choosing a care provider, there are a few essential requirements, and we've laid them out for you here. Before you select a care provider, be sure that these areas have all been addressed.

Are They Reputable? 

This one goes without saying, but it is essential that the care provider you choose has a good and long standing reputation within the community. A quick search online will provide you with a wealth of reviews and information about any organization, and some companies will even give access to client testimonials on their website. 

Who is Designing and Recommending the Plan of Care?

Just about anyone can provide a house sitter, but that is often not the best course of action.  A good care provider will conduct an in-home assessment by a Care Manager who is a Registered Nurse and an expert in geriatric care.  These Care Managers will make certain you get the level of care you need.

‍

Who is Providing Care?

Not all organizations are the same and here are a few questions you should ask:

• Is the company you are calling actually providing care or are they just a referral service?  Typically a referral service has little control over the care provided once they have referred your call.
• Are caregivers employees or subcontractors? Quality care providers will not use subcontractors for many reasons including high turnover, inconsistent quality of care, lack of ongoing training, etc.
• How are employees compensated? The old saying is still true: “You get what you pay for.” Caregivers that are licensed, trained, and truly good at what they do will want to be compensated accordingly.
• Are all employees drug screened and background checked?
• Are employees required to participate in ongoing training?

‍

Often there is no better judgement than your own. It’s important to trust your gut instinct in situations, especially one as important as a care provider for your loved ones. It’s important not to be fooled by a flashy website or fancy office space, but to get a feeling for the caregivers and how they interact with the elderly to make them feel safe and secure.

We Put the 'Compassion' Back Into Caregiving

We all want the very best for our loved ones, and want to reciprocate the many years of loving care they gave us when we were younger. By selecting a SureCare caregiver or organization that is trustworthy and which cares about the high quality of staff they provide, you will be left feeling confident that they can do the best possible job of caring for your loved one.