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Knowing the right questions to ask a home health provider will help you choose the best company for your needs. If you have an older adult family member who needs home health care, asking questions is a great way to narrow down your selection of providers. It’s important to involve family members in the selection process to ensure that they feel comfortable with the care provided. Cost is another major factor for many people seeking assistance for parents and other families who wish to age in place at home.

Aging With Comfort aims to make the selection process easier in any way possible. We hire only caring team members to take care of our valued clients and treat everyone as individuals, giving them the respect and dignity they deserve. The following questions are some of the topics we recommend asking your provider to make sure you’re making the right choice.

Quality of Care

This set of questions to ask a home health provider focuses on care quality. The following questions will help you understand who provides care to your loved one as well as helping you understand the difference between home care and home health aide services.

For home care agencies, we recommend asking the following questions:

• Do care providers receive training and monitoring?
• Are the care providers licensed and insured?
• Are employees friendly and helpful to older adults and family?

Meanwhile, you should ask these questions to your home health aide:

• Do you feel the home health aide will have a cheerful disposition?
• Is your loved one comfortable with the choice of home health aides?

Costs in Terms of Hourly Rates

Making sure your home care professional matches your personal qualifications is critical. However, many families also have budgetary needs to consider. Therefore, it’s important to understand how much the service will cost, what’s included, and whether you can afford it. The services provided to you by Aging With Comfort are covered by approved waivers that you can apply for. These waivers cover the services and the caregivers assigned to your home.

Questions to ask about home care services include:

• How is billing handled? These fees and services are covered in the aforementioned waivers.
• How much of the cost does Medicare or health insurance take care of? Most reputable agencies will be able to troubleshoot questions that you have about coverage with health insurance and Medicare.
• Does the agency provide resources to request financial assistance?

Questions to ask about home health aide services include:

• How much does it cost for home health services?
• What services are included in the fees? Again, it’s important to get this in writing before making your final decision.
• Who pays for vacation days, holidays, and sick days? 

You are hiring home nursing agencies and caregivers work for them. Therefore, all the benefits, days off, and other back-end expenses should not appear on your bill.

Understanding the Services

It’s also important to understand what questions to ask a home health provider concerning the level of care and specific services. Add the following questions to your list for a comprehensive understanding of what you are paying for and how much help you or your loved one will receive:

• Will you receive a care plan in writing? The care plan should detail the agency’s equipment, services, and responsibilities.
• Will they receive constant updating to account for long-term care needs as health information changes?
• Will the agency work directly with both the older adult and family?
• What emergency procedures does the agency have in place?
• When can services begin?
• What level of personal care is provided?

Caregiver Selection and Training

Aging With Comfort offers competitive rates while paying fair wages to our private caregivers. Caregivers provide continuous training, days off, and other benefits. We treat our employees well so that they will treat you or your loved one well.

We understand that hiring in-home help can be nerve-wracking. However, you will have the opportunity of interviewing multiple caregivers to choose the one right for you and your family. Our team understands that background checking is an integral part of the hiring process, and the questions you ask your home health provider should include inquiries about background checks for the safety of you and your loved ones.

Now that you know the questions to ask a home health provider, you can start making plans to care for your elderly family members. Contact Aging With Comfort for quality in-home care in the Philadelphia area!