Time certainly takes its toll. As our loved ones embrace their Golden Years, even the most routine chores can become challenging, if not unfeasible. And no matter how much you’d like to help, other responsibilities can make it impossible to always be there. The good new sis that with the right home care service, you can make sure your senior family members enjoy the same level of independence and comfort they had before retirement.
The benefits of in-home care go far beyond fresh-cooked meals and consistent housekeeping. As studies show, the right assistance can help increase seniors’ life expectancy, eliminate a number of most common health risks, and even improve cognition.
Unfortunately, not all in-home care providers were created equal. In fact, only about a third of Connecticut home attendant agencies provide above-average service. With over 100options to choose from, it’s crucial to consider each factor that determines the quality of care your loved ones will receive.
That’s why we created a guide that combines everything you need to know to find the best homecare assistance Fairfield, CT has to offer.
How to Choose a HomeCare Agency?
Choosing a caregiver is a lot like hiring an employee – there will be multiple interviews, and you’ll need to know which questions to ask, as well as which answers to look for. As such, the first step to finding your ideal home health provider is to narrow down your options. If you see any of the below red flags pop up, it’s best to move on to other agencies.
Home Care Red Flags
- Low Customer Satisfaction
Any single online review should always be taken with a grain of salt. That said, you should avoid providers with low customer satisfaction scores on multiple review sites. - Unresponsive Supervisors
When it comes to managing care, communication is key. If you are having trouble reaching the intake or coordination teams, it may foreshadow similar issues down the line. - Disregard for Punctuality
We’ve all been late to work on occasion. However, there’s no excuse for an aide arriving hours later than scheduled or being late multiple times a week. - Language/Culture Barriers
The best home care agencies in CT have a wide variety of aides to offer. They should be able to assign someone with cultural familiarity and fluent communication skills. - Gloomy Staff
Quality in-home care doesn’t necessarily require a happy-go-lucky attitude. But the caregiver’s overall mood is often indicative of their dissatisfaction with their employer, which can translate to a variety of problems. Stick to providers who treat their employees fairly so that your loved ones can enjoy a positive presence from their aide. - Confusing Contacts
If you’re dealing with professionals, you should be assigned a single point of contact. Inversely, if you have to speak with multiple people (who put you on hold or transfer the call) every time you ring them, you’re likely dealing with a disorganized company.
Questions to Ask HomeCare Providers
Once you’ve narrowed down your list to a handful of CT elder care services, it’s time to interview potential candidates.But before you evaluate particular aides, there are some important questions to address with their supervisors. And any worthwhile home care agency inConnecticut will gladly offer you a free consultation.
- How is Other Staff Involved in Providing Care?
First and foremost, ask about how their coordinators select aides. Consider if their process is an effective matchmaking strategy. You should also ask about their timecard procedures: Do aides fill out timesheets, or do they “clock-in” via specialty software? How often do supervisors drop in for a surprise wellness check?
- How Do Supervisors Evaluate Whether the Plan of Care is Being Fulfilled?
A good Plan of Care lists all of a client’s needs and outlines how the caregiver will address them. As the client’s needs change, so does the plan. But without proper oversight, some of your family members' needs may go unattended.
Supervisors should be checking in with both the clients and caregivers on a consistent basis to make sure the Plan of Care is fulfilled. Make sure to ask how often staff communicates with the family and by what means (phone, text, email, etc.)
- What Happens if You’re Not 100% Compatible With an Aide?
Some personalities are simply not in-tune with one another. Even if a caregiver is professional and thorough in their work, they may not be the ideal candidate for your family members. Perhaps your loved one would prefer someone who is talkative to socialize with. On the other hand, maybe they’d rather have someone who’s quiet and won’t exhaust them with constant conversation.
To get ahead of unforeseen issues, ask what the procedure is for receiving, documenting, and resolving client complaints. Does the agency have quality of care standards and a plan to maintain and improve quality?
- Do They Offer Specialty Caregivers?
There are as many specializations of CT in-home care assistance as there are ailments. Unfortunately, experienced specialty aides are not so abundant. These expert aides are always in high demand, so only the best home care agencies have them on staff.
If you want nothing but the best for your elder family members, ask if they can provide an aide who has experience with the specific issues your loved one faces. Whether it’s dementia, mobility issue, neurological disorders, or Alzheimer's disease, the caregiver should be knowledgeable about the condition and skillful in caring for those affected by it.
- What Kind of Background Checks Do Their Caregivers Undergo?
It’s perfectly natural to be selective about the person who will take care of your loved ones. Since official background checks are not mandated, some CT home care agencies only require references.
First off, make sure to ask about their initial employee vetting process. If a provider sets a high barrier to entry, their pool of caregivers is bound to be impressive. Ongoing check-ups are also important, so you should also inquire about the follow-up screening process.
- How are the Caregivers Trained or Certified?
The best training and oversight are always provided by a third party, which has no interest in overstating the results. Plus, the best agencies will have aides with additional healthcare certification [HBD2] s such as Dementia Care, First Aid, or CPR.
- What is Their Policy for Communicating With the Family?
It’s not uncommon for families to live far apart from their eldest loved ones. Likewise, some families just don’t have the opportunity to visit often. Of course, that doesn’t mean they worry any less, so a good home care agency will take steps to provide peace of mind for the family.
At the very least, ask whether they would mind being contacted outside of service hours in case urgent issues arise. If you want to be even more thorough, find out how often coordinators call to check up on their clients and aides.
- Can They Provide References?
A lack of personal references from past clients is usually a sign of inexperience, if not incompetence.
Self-Monitoring & Auditing Home Care Checklist
Even if you find a great agency and they ace your interview, you may still have some reservations. After all, who can honestly say they’ve never embellished the truth in a job interview?
Luckily, there are some solid steps you can take to independently ensure your loved ones are receiving the best in-home care CT has to offer.
- Do Some Digging
If you’re like most people, the first thing you did was consult Google. But when it comes to researching home care providers, there are much better resources than the top results of your favorite search engine.
Start by looking up your local Agency on Aging. For example, the CAHH (Connecticut Association for Healthcare at Home) is a great resource that has been operating in CT for over a century.
If you have a specific provider in mind, search for them on local review sites. And don’t forget to check for employee reviews on sites like Indeed to find out what former staff have to say about the agency.
- Know How to Check In
The Golden Generation may be less inclined to complain and generally more tolerant of the caregiver’s behavior than they should be. When you call to check up on them, don’t just ask for their opinion. Instead, try asking specific questions, such as how their day went and what their plans are.
- Ask Around
The entire CT healthcare community is fairly well connected. Your loved ones’ doctor might have insight about local home care services, so don’t hesitate to ask for recommendations. If you have friends or associates in nursing, consult with them as well.
