How to Choose the Best Home Health Care Services

Finding high-quality home health care (particularly home health aide services) is quite challenging for many people. Everything from costs, individual routines, life issues, and circumstances must be considered.

It’s no wonder most people become overwhelmed and frustrated and hire the first company they stumble upon. But there are a few things you can look out for to properly screen agencies to be sure you find a quality organization to entrust your loved one’s care to. To get started, we suggest following the simple tips below.

Home caregiver helping a senior man standing up at home

Price and Related Costs

Did you know that the average American life expectancy is 78 years? More precisely, for a child born in 2015, the average expected lifespan is 78.8 years, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

First, we strongly suggest consulting with your current insurance carrier (or carriers). Many policies have specific guidelines regarding receiving home care, qualifying for it, paying for it, “elimination periods” (when dealing with Long Term Care insurance), etc. It’s essential to learn the ins and outs of your existing policy(s) as you may discover key information that will lead you down the appropriate path for your situation.

Does your policy cover aide services? Skilled services such as Nursing, Physical therapy, Occupational therapy, etc.? So many benefits fall under the “home care” umbrella, and you’ll need to know what your current coverage is limited to (or is not limited to).

Next, once you complete the above, it’s important to establish a budget (if your insurance does not cover services whatsoever or in a limited quantity).

Then, you’ll have to tackle the actual home health aide agency selection.

Experience of Home Health Aides

Whether you are searching for home health care for yourself or a close family member, you should never overlook the importance of the agency’s experience level that will be administering and overseeing aide services.

It might be tempting to cut corners and choose the first agency you come across. Still, it is well worth investing the time to ensure that the agency offers experienced aides (and oversight) to assist with proper professional everyday care.

The right home health aide can make all the difference. They help you or your loved one perform their daily tasks with ease and offer valuable emotional support in times that can be quite difficult. An agency with experienced, friendly, reliable, and well-trained home health aides is worth seeking.

A Dependable Home Health Care Agency

Similarly, it would help if you always were certain the agency you are hiring had demonstrated dependability in the industry.

You will often hear cases of elder abuse, neglect, and other forms of lesser, mediocre problems with home health care. Atrocious as these things can be, it’s good to know that you can take a few key steps to ensure you steer clear of such services.

Firstly, always choose an agency that has obvious experience in their field. This means checking to see that they have received positive reviews and feedback from past and current customers. If an agency does not have positive, enthusiastic reviews, that is a good sign to avoid them.

Furthermore, asking for suggestions from trusted friends, co-workers, family members, and peers can help you start on the path toward finding a home health care agency you know you can trust.

We offer a wide range of comprehensive home health care services at Special Touch Home Care. We understand that finding reliable home care can be a challenging process, so we’ve aimed to make the process as simple and hassle-free as possible.

If you need home health care that aims to keep loved ones happier, healthier, and safer, all from the comfort of their own home, don’t hesitate to contact a member of our team today. We can’t wait to show you the Special Touch difference.