How To Make Sure You're Getting Quality Home Care
Finding the right home care solution for your senior loved one doesn’t have to be a challenge – know what to look for in quality home care providers
Whether you have just been considering care or already decided on a home care agency for your senior loved one, you want only what is best for them. You know that quality home care should provide your parent with support, comfort, and safety while allowing them to maintain or improve independence. But how can you be sure your loved one is getting the level of care they deserve?
It is important for families to make care decisions together with senior loved one. Taking the time to talk and listen to one another’s concerns, preferences and questions is an essential first step to finding the best home care solution for your family. You may be concerned with the types of services available, customization of care plans, and ease of communication with care staff. Your senior loved one may be worried about their assigned caregiver, seeking someone who is trustworthy, friendly, and a true companion.
Understanding the needs and desires of all members involved will help your family start the home care research process as a united front. If you’ve been searching for non-medical senior home care in Gastonia, NC, you may have struggled to determine which care provider is best. Visiting Angels of Gastonia, NC, encourages families to look for these five signs to help you determine if your chosen home care agency is worthy of your and your parent’s trust:
Home Care Begins With A Conversation
Before your loved one is provided with a care plan or a care provider starts caring for them, there needs to be a conversation about care. However, just having a conversation about care is often not enough. Your home care agency representative needs to carefully listen to your family, answer any questions you may have, and provide valuable input based on your loved one’s needs and wishes. The basis of any
No Two Care Plans Are The Same
Just like no two seniors are the same, no two care plans should be identical. In other words, your home care agency needs to develop a unique care plan for your loved one, taking into consideration your parent’s needs, wishes, interests, likes, living conditions, and more. Building a care plan is just a beginning, however. Namely, as your loved one’s needs change, the plan needs to change as well. A well-thought-out care plan allows for modifications and adjustments, leaving room for changes of any kind at any time.
Choosing The Right Caregiver
A quality home care agency should match your loved one with the most compatible caregiver, based on experience, personality, and more. Pairing your loved one with an incompatible care provider can ruin the whole experience for them, leaving them unsatisfied and unhappy. So, instead of just picking a random caregiver, a good care agency will choose one who can truly relate to what your loved one needs.
Care Notes Matter
Not all care agencies provide families with care notes, but quality home care providers make sure to keep you informed about your loved one’s condition on a regular basis. Care notes are also a way for you to see just how much effort your loved one’s caregiver is putting into providing their services. If they write care notes, that means they are paying real attention to your parent and monitoring any changes in their behavior, which can significantly improve caregiving for them.
Quality Home Care Providers Form Special Bonds With Families
Understandably, this can’t happen overnight, but after the first few weeks or months, you should start noticing a connection with your loved one’s caregiver. While there may not be an easy way to explain what a special bond means, as every family is different and has a different level of comfort, you will know that you have made the right choice if your loved one’s caregiver goes an extra mile to help and support your parent.
Transitioning to home care is neither easy for seniors nor their families. It is important to keep your standards high and only look for the best care solution for your loved one – the one that allows your parent to establish a relationship with the care provider and enjoy their time together. Quality home care will allow your family to stay involved with your loved one’s care while receiving the professional assistance that benefits you both.
Visiting Angels of Gastonia, NC, is a leading provider of non-medical
Visiting Angels proudly serves Alexis, Belmont, Bessemer City, Boiling Springs, Casar, Charlotte, Cherryville, Cramerton, Crouse, Dallas, Earl, Fallston, Gastonia, High Shoals, Iron Station, Kings Mountain, Lattimore, Lawndale, Lincolnton, Lowell, McAdenville, Mooresboro, Polkville, Shelby, Stanley, Vale, Waco, and the surrounding areas of North Carolina.