Investigate Homecare Services
Make sure the agency is licensed, certified, or bonded. This is a requirement in many
states.
Ask the following questions:
- Is the agency accredited by an official healthcare accreditation organization?
- An example is the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare organizations (JCAHO). Are they certified for Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement?
- Ask what services are provided?
-Who is on their agency healthcare team? Do they have doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers, dietitians, home health aides, homemakers, companion, or volunteer services? What are their qualifications?
- Ask how costs for these services are covered.
-Is there a minimum requirement for services? How are the services billed? - Ask when are the services provided.
-Is the agency available 24 hours a day? Is it available 7 days a week? Do they have on-call services? - Ask who will evaluate and determine the type of care needed.
- Who will follow-up and manage the plan of care? Will the same person see your loved one each time? - Ask, if there is a problem with care, how will that be handled.
- Who do you contact for problems?