Advantages of Working With a Professional Home Care Agency

By Thomas Gerrity, Publisher

After deciding that home care is needed, you can weigh the options of hiring a professional home care agency or contracting directly with a home health aide.

There are many benefits of working with a professional home care agency in contrast with the risks of a direct hire. Professional home care agencies have experienced staff with expertise in assessing your needs and developing care plans. The professional staff at a home care agency can help you navigate through the web of health care resources and effectively communicate your needs and goals to the doctors who care for you. Home care professionals also can assist clients and their families with any emotional barriers and concerns about accepting home care services.

Training and Supervision: Professional home care agencies have the experience, knowledge, training, resources, and licensure to ensure that their caregivers are thoroughly trained in all services performed, including safe infection control, falls prevention, emergency preparation, and personal care tasks.

Safety: Professional home care agencies are required to maintain various insurances to protect their clients and are required by law to investigate promptly all complaints of abuse or theft.

Backup: If the caregiver from a professional home care agency gets sick or injured or changes jobs, the agency is responsible for providing a replacement without disruption of service.

Employer Obligations: Using a professional home care agency relieves you of having to deal with payroll taxes, worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, and liability insurance.        `

Peace of Mind:  Professional home care agencies are required to conduct thorough criminal background checks that provide more comprehensive information than is available to the public prior to any caregiver being hired.

Using a professional home care agency gives you the confidence that your loved one is receiving the best of care and allows you to spend quality time with your loved one and family.

You can find a comprehensive listing of the top local professional home care agencies in this edition of the Senior GO TO Guide.

Paying for Care

If a doctor orders in-home health care, Medicare may cover part of the cost. A long-term care insurance policy can cover costs when Medicare runs out. Note that Medicare will pay for only part-time or “intermittent” care from a home health aide. This may mean only three 90-minute visits a week during a period when the individual is receiving home physical therapy. Visit the Medicare Web site for details.

Medicare will not cover homemaker services. Nor will it cover personal care services, such as bathing and dressing, provided by a home health aide if that is the only care required. Medicaid may pay for some of the services not covered by Medicare. Visit the Medicaid Web site for more information.