Table of contents:
- What Questions to Ask In-Home Senior Care Providers
- Business Basics
- Care Management
- Caregiver Selection and Training
- Company Policies
- Billing Practices
- Consider Galaxy Home Care Your Trusted Companion
In the modern day, skilled care and Medicare are some concepts that many families with elderly are familiar with. Skilled care is referred to as medical services delivered to those aged 65 or older, disabled individuals, and ones with special needs. A physician must legally accept a patient as homebound to get this federal medicare program service. These services are often requested to assist a family in caring for people of any age recovering after surgeries or disorders.
Just for quick reference: Over the past 7 years, the number of healthcare workers per 1000 elderly in the US rose by 75%. It indicates the rise in the need for specialized care services and the increased adoption of skilled care for numerous people.
If you are looking for a certified provider of skilled care services, you naturally need to find out what questions to ask a caregiver for the elderly. This way, you’ll be able to find out whether they are your perfect fit or you’d better look somewhere else.
Let’s review relevant caregiver interview questions to ask should you be looking for skilled care services in Brooklyn, NY, or any other location. The question section contains questions to the service provider as well as ones to certified caregivers themselves.
What Questions to Ask In-Home Senior Care Providers
Here are several categories of questions you should ask skilled care providers and the preferred caregiver themselves:
Business Basics
Are you licensed to deliver Medicare?
Of course, any skilled care provider should have a valid confirmation that they are legally allowed to deliver such services in a particular state.
Are your caregivers legal employees of the agency?
In some cases, caregivers are independent contractors. This way, the provider is just a third-party medium between you and them. It’s a possible but not a preferable option since such workers hold less responsibility and are not covered by workers’ compensation insurance.
For how long have you been in business?
Among all the questions to ask a caregiver agency, this one will give clear knowledge about their experience. Providers that have been in the industry for three or more years have well-established business processes.
Care Management
How do you create personalized care plans?
If the service is predicted to be delivered on a regular basis, a caregiver should create an individualized plan that would bring the best treatment outcomes. Planning requires analyzing the data for a patient and their condition and considering a physician’s recommendations.
Who conducts ongoing evaluations?
It’s the legal duty of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) auditors to conduct such evaluations. Providers themselves cannot do so, as they are not considered independent parties.
How do you communicate with clients and their family members?
You should be offered varying methods of communication, such as in-person, by phone, via email, etc.
Caregiver Selection and Training
How do you recruit caregivers?
Providers usually feature a comprehensive hiring process with obligatory background checks. The pool of caregivers consists only of trained and certified professionals.
Do you conduct supervisory tests?
Providers themselves are responsible for regular evaluation of their workers’ performance. Usually, you are provided with details regarding the frequency and forms of assessments. They may vary, but they should be reasonable enough.
Do your caregivers receive ongoing training?
Skilled care professionals must regularly undergo training and improve their skill sets. Any trustworthy information regarding this matter, such as indications of particular care centers or certificates that evidence the passed training courses, is good enough. Always include this one in the list of questions to ask in-home caregivers.
Company Policies
What is my point of contact with you?
The next question to ask in-home caregivers is about the point of contact. Here you basically find out how no-show cases or any other issues are handled in the company. Usually, they provide you with a direct communication channel.
How do you provide last-minute coverage?
Typically, providers have several additional specialists on the shift. One of the questions to ask potential caregivers is whether they are ready to replace a caregiver that is absent for any reason. Coverage should be easily accessible by your first request.
Are your staff members available outside of normal business hours?
Of course, particular caregivers may be unavailable at certain periods of time. But the provider is expected to have staff that would be able to respond to emergency situations instantly and at any time.
Billing Practices
What is the minimum number of hours per week?
If your Medicare is not fully covered with insurance, you should ask what the minimal rate of the provider is. Usually, there is a minimal number of hours for which you may request medicare services.
Do you offer free in-home consultations?
In some cases, an initial assessment is free of charge, while in others, it doesn’t. Often, the consultation is not charged if you decide to stick with this particular provider that consulted you.
Do you accept long-term care insurance?
With this question, you basically find out what insurance policies this provider has in place. Some of them don’t accept Medicare or Medicaid, and others work only as per insurance or as per self-pay payment models. You definitely should learn about these matters.
We discussed all the questions to ask when interviewing a caregiver for the elderly, and we are sure now you know how to get the best in-home care services. Should you need more details on how to select a skilled provider or where to hire one, don’t hesitate to contact Galaxy Home Care. Our support center will get back to you soon.
Consider Galaxy Home Care Your Trusted Companion
Galaxy Home Care is a certified medical provider of in-home care services. Our brand mission is to raise the bar for Medicare and other forms of in-home skilled care higher. We deliver skilled care services in Nassau County and New York City.
Our caregivers provide these and other home care services:
- Consultations
- Medication management
- Wound care
- Speech therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Foley care
If you ask our specialists interview questions for caregivers, you’ll find out that every one of them is a certified professional. They are battle-hardened, well-seasoned, and fully capable of providing all the necessary aid.
Contact us is as simple as giving us a call at 718-247-8300 or leaving your contact details via our website. Our support center will get back to you soon.