| When searching for an elder care service | | | | Never work with an agency that is not bonded. |
| agency to take care of your loved one, there | | | | 5. Is professional liability insurance paid |
| are several questions you should ask to make | | | | so my family is protected? At a quality elder |
| certain you are hiring a high quality elder | | | | agency, the agency will be licensed and |
| care agency. 1. How does your agency screen | | | | insured to protect you and your loved one. |
| its elder care employees? A quality elder | | | | 6. Are your care providers licensed with |
| care service agency will carefully screens | | | | your state's Board of Nursing? At quality |
| all of its employees with in-depth background | | | | agencies, all care providers will be state |
| checks so that you can be comfortable that | | | | licenses with the board of nursing and should |
| your loved ones are in good hands. Employees | | | | have a license number that can be verified |
| should under undergo extensive reference | | | | for authenticity. 7. Can we reach your staff |
| checks, social security validation, national | | | | 24 hours in a day? At a quality elder care |
| and local background checks and motor vehicle | | | | agency, the office staff will be available 24 |
| records checks. 2. Are your elder care | | | | hours a day, seven days a week through an |
| providers employees of your company? At | | | | emergency telephone line. 8. Does your |
| quality elder care agency the answer to this | | | | agency provide replacement care if the |
| question will be yes. With the elder care | | | | scheduled care provider cannot make it to |
| providers being employees of the agency, it | | | | work? Quality agencies will send replacement |
| is the agency that is responsible for their | | | | without any additional charge for the period |
| social security, federal and state taxes, and | | | | of time that the scheduled care provider |
| their unemployment taxes so your family is | | | | cannot make it to work. 9: Does your |
| not legally responsible. If the elder care | | | | company provide a written care plan? When |
| providers are not employees of the agency, | | | | dealing with a quality elder care agency, the |
| you could be responsible for paying worker | | | | agency should provide a detailed written care |
| compensation if the provider is hurt on the | | | | plan for each client. In creating the care |
| job while caring for your loved one. 3: Are | | | | plan, the agency should consider all levels |
| your care providers trained before they are | | | | of care and types of services that might be |
| assigned to homes and do they receive ongoing | | | | needed. You should always ask the above |
| training? The answer to this question should | | | | questions when you are interviewing elder |
| be that each care provider completes an | | | | care service providers to take care of your |
| intensive training program and is fully | | | | loved ones. |
| qualified to provide elder care that is | | | | |
| professional, personal and friendly. 4. Are | | | | Yewande D. Awoyemi is the administrator for |
| your care providers bonded? The answer to | | | | Dubols Home Care. Dubols is a medical and |
| this question should be yes. You only want to | | | | non-Medical staffing agency that provides |
| choose elder care agencies that are bonded. | | | | caregivers for in home elder care services. |