Aging In Place Questions To Ask When Interviewing a Home Caregiver 12/10/2010 | By Seniors Guide Staff What to Ask when interviewing a Home Healthcare Agency Agency Interviewed: Date: What Types of care level do you offer? Medical Home Health Care Companion Care Non-Medical Home Health Care Adult Day Care Physical Therapy / Rehab Hospice Costs: What are your hourly prices for: Days? Nights? Weekends? Holidays? How does the agency handle billing? Is there a sliding fee schedule based on ability to pay? Is financial assistance available to pay for services? Agency: Do they have any printed brochures describing the services it offers and how much they cost? If so, get one. How long has the agency been serving this community? Is the agency an approved Medicare provider? Are the activities posted? Is the quality of care certified by a national accrediting body? Does they have a current license to practice (if required in the state where you live)? Does they offer seniors a “Patients’ Bill of Rights” that describes the rights? Does it cover responsibilities of both the agency and the senior being cared for? Does they write a plan of care for the patient, with input from the patient, his or her doctor and family? Do they update the plan as necessary? Does the care plan outline the patient’s course of treatment? Does it describing the specific tasks to be performed by each caregiver? Does your agency have Professional Liability insurance? What is your agency’s minimum care level requirement? Hours per visit? Visits per week? Staff: How are agency caregivers hired and trained? What type of employee screening is done? Will the agency provide a list of references for its caregivers? How closely do supervisors oversee care to ensure quality? Will agency caregivers keep family members informed about the kind of care their loved one is getting? Are agency staff members available around the clock, seven days a week, if necessary? Does the agency have a nursing supervisor available to provide on-call assistance 24 hours a day? How does the agency ensure patient confidentiality? Who does the agency call if the home health care worker cannot come when scheduled? What is the procedure for resolving problems when they occur, and who can I call with questions or complaints? Where can I learn more about Home Health Care? There are several national organizations that can provide additional consumer information about home health care services.These include the following:The National Association for Home Care, which can be reached at 202-547-7424 or by visiting its website at www.nahc.org. The postal address is: 228 7th St., SE; Washington, DC 20003The Visiting Nurse Associations of America, which can be reached at 617-737-3200 or by visiting its website at www.vnaa.org The postal address is: 99 Summer St., Suite 1700; Boston, MA 02110.US Dept of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging, Washington, DC 20201 phone (202) 619-0724 fax (202) 357-3523 Email: aoainfo@aoa.gov Our website at www.aoa.gov Read More Seniors Guide Staff Seniors Guide has been addressing traditional topics and upcoming trends in the senior living industry since 1999. We strive to educate seniors and their loved ones in an approachable manner, and aim to provide them with the right information to make the best decisions possible.