Our Ask An Angel correspondent is Arlene Petersen, owner of Visiting Angels and Life Care Navigation Specialist in the area of senior home care.
Q. I need to hire a caregiver for my father. I’ve been asking around for a good agency and have learned there are definite differences between agencies. I thought price would be my driving decision influencer, but now I’m not so sure. Can you explain the differences?
A. If you care for a loved one, there may come a time to obtain help from an outside agency. Sometimes, we just cannot do it alone. That’s how it was for me when I cared for my family member. After some time, I recognized that I could not manage all the details in both my life and hers as well as I truly wanted to. That’s when I began to research my options. That was in 1997. Things have changed since then, and there is now more information available to the consumer when it pertains to home care. I’ve compiled a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) list to help you navigate this issue.
How do you begin the process of selecting the right agency?
Call local hospitals or nursing homes to ask for a copy of their referral list
Talk to the discharge planner on the rehabilitation floor at the hospital for a referral
Interview multiple agencies to compare information before you decide
Don’t let price be your only indicator. Compare the service levels of different providers
Have a list of questions ready. (We will help you develop that list today!)
So what are the Illinois State regulations governing Home Care Agencies?
Illinois State Police check and fingerprinting is required
Social Security verification is required
Supervisory visits are required every 90 days by the agency.
8 hours of training are required annually for each employee
Proof of citizenship or Visa compliancy with federal employment requirements
When interviewing an agency, a question you could ask is, “Does your agency conduct extra background checks? If so, tell me more about those extra steps.” Ask: 1. Does your agency do a nationwide background check, over and above the Illinois state check that is required? 2. Does your agency drug test your applicants? 3. Do you drug test your employees after they are hired? 4. Do you run a sex offender background check? 5. Do you run a DMV report checking their driving record?
Other good questions to ask could include the following:
1. Are you licensed with the State of Illinois? (Ask to see proof.)
2. Where do you recruit your employees? 3. Do you check references on all your applicants? 4. What kind of training does your agency give your employees? 5. Are your caregivers employees or independent contractors? 6. Are your caregivers bonded and insured? (Independent contractors are usually not able to be bonded or insured unless you personally bond and insure them.)
7. How many times in the last year has your agency had a theft accusation?
8. How would your agency handle a theft accusation?
9. Does your agency have general liability insurance?
10. What happens if a caregiver gets hurt at my home? Am I responsible for their medical costs? 11. How do you monitor quality in an unsupervised environment? 12. How do you monitor and verify time worked to ensure accurate invoicing?
13. Does the state regulate what you do in any way? If so, how?
We never know when the need for care giving may start for either ourselves or a loved one. It is a good idea to research your options in advance so that you have fundamental information ahead of time. You really don’t want to be caught rushing to make an important decision like this during a health crisis. Do your homework early. If you would like a checklist of questions, let me know and I will mail (or email) you one out right away!
Have a question for our angel correspondent? You can send our angel an email to apetersen@visitingangels.com or send your question via mail to Ask An Angel, 65 Woodbury St., South Elgin, IL 60177.
