Home Care NYC: Finding An Agency That’s Right For Your Family
Finding quality senior care for your loved one is important. Good in-home care helps them stay independent longer. It delays the assisted living or nursing home transition.
The right New York City or state agency for your family allows you to relax, knowing your loved one is safe. In this blog, we’ll talk about what you need to know to choose the best home care agency:
- What a home care agency is, and what it provides
- How to know if your family needs a home care agency
- What to look for when choosing an agency
If you reside in New York, you have free access to Trualta for even more information about home care and caregiving. If you live in another state, you can check if you also have free access to Trualta.
What Is A Home Care Agency?
A home care agency, or home health care agency, is a company that provides professional care providers. They evaluate and hire professionals to work in people’s homes. The type of in-home care provided ranges from basic chores to skilled medical care.
Different agencies may provide different types of care. Some only offer home care, which does not include any skilled medical care.
Who Can Benefit From A Home Health Agency?
The clients of an agency may be the care recipient or their family. Many people act as family caregivers. They often need support from professionals provided by an agency. Even where a family caregiver is present, professionals can help in several ways:
- Providing basic and skilled medical care
- Assisting with tasks the family cannot handle
- Providing care on days or during times when the family cannot
- Providing respite care for family caregivers
Home care agencies are important because they provide vetted professionals. Without an agency’s help, you would need to find and interview individuals. A home care agency will also manage caregivers. They handle any problems that arise between clients and their staff. This leaves the family free to focus on their loved one.
What Kinds Of Home Care Services Do Agencies Provide?
Agencies typically provide two types of in-home care:
- Home Care refers to non-skilled assistance. This includes companionship, help with chores, transportation, and activities of daily living. Activities of daily living are dressing, bathing, toileting, and other types of personal care.
- Home Health Care is more skilled care. It includes care provided by home health aids, like medication assistance or taking and recording vital signs. Home health care can also include medical care up to skilled nursing.
Not all agencies provide both types of care. Some focus on one type of care only.
What Should We Look For In A Home Health Care Agency?
New York licenses and certifies home care and home health agencies. This takes much of the guesswork out of finding an agency that’s right for your family. Even so, it’s important to learn about several agencies. Take these factors into consideration as you choose one.
An Agency That Matches Your Loved One’s Needs
Determine the services your loved one needs before shopping around for an agency. Some agencies may only provide personal care services. Others only offer home health aide services or skilled nursing care.
The New York State Department of Health lists profiles for two types of home care agencies:
- Certified Home Health Agencies (CCHAs). A CCHA can provide part-time or intermittent health care services. Their providers include home health aides, nurses, and other professionals, like physical and occupational therapists. CCHA services can be paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, or out-of-pocket.
- Licensed Home Care Services Agencies (LHCSAs). An LHCSA provides home care for individuals paying with private insurance or out-of-pocket. Services include assistance with daily living tasks and personal care.
Make sure you choose the right type of agency for your loved one’s care needs. Their medical team can help you determine if they need any skilled, in-home care or visits from nurses.
Trained, Qualified Care Providers
You want the best care for your loved one. This means hiring professionals who have been trained and are qualified for their jobs. You have a right to ask agencies several questions about their employees. A reputable agency will be happy to answer these questions for a potential patient or client family:
- How do you hire your care providers?
- What qualifications do they hold, and are they up-to-date?
- How much experience do your caregivers provide?
- What kind of medical training do your caregivers have?
- Do you perform background checks on your employees?
- How long have your employees worked for you?
- How do you handle complaints or requests to change caregivers?
References From Past Clients
References and testimonials are important. Again, an agency should be willing to provide this information. Ask for references about the agency and individual caregivers.
References can tell you a lot about how caregivers work:
- If they provide personalized care
- How well they adhere to a care plan
- How they develop a rapport with a patient or care recipient
- If they are timely and dependable
- How well they communicate with family members
What & How They Charge
You want the best care for a family member, but you also need to think about finances. Ask each home health care agency you contact about their pricing. They should tell you the charge for each type of service or care provider. They may also require a minimum number of hours per week.
Ask the agency about Medicaid or Medicare if your loved one is eligible. Medicaid typically covers personal care and home health care. Medicare only covers personal care if your loved one also needs skilled home health care.
Talk to agencies about coverage if your loved one has private health insurance. You should have a clear idea of what and how much the insurance covers and what you will need to pay out-of-pocket.
Compatibility
Compatibility with a caregiver is important. You want your loved one to get good care but also to be comfortable with the provider in their home. Talk to agencies about how they handle this. Will they replace the caregiver if they’re not compatible with your loved one? The right agency should be willing to be flexible.
As a family member, you have a big responsibility. Good care for your loved one keeps them safe and happy at home. If you reside in New York, you have free access to Trualta for even more useful articles on home care and caregiving. If you live in another state, you can check if you also have free access to Trualta.
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