The National Private Duty Association—of which Visiting Nurse Plus
is a charter member—recommends asking all potential home care providers
the following questions:
How do you select your caregivers?
Are your caregivers bonded, insured and covered by Worker’s Compensation?
Do
you do background checks on prospective employees?
Are you willing to give
me a copy of your insurance binder?
Do you deduct state, federal and local
taxes from the caregivers’ checks?
Is there a “contract for services” and
if so, what is the cancellation policy?
What kind of caregiver consistency
can we expect?
What is the minimum number of hours of service you provide?
Do you charge
extra for night or weekend care?
Is there supervision of
the caregivers by an administrative staff person?
How
are calls after business hours and on weekends handled?
What kind
of assessment for care can we expect from your agency? Is there a charge
for this assessment?
How often are patient care needs reassessed?
Is this a franchise or privately
owned company?
How long has the company
been in business?
Will you give me references
from previous clients?
An Important Note about Hiring Home Care Services
If you choose a home health provider that does not employ its caregivers
or assume responsibility for staff payroll, taxes and workers' compensation, you,
the customer, become that caregiver’s employer. You are responsible
for the appropriate taxes and also for compensation should the individual
become injured in your home (homeowner’s insurance does not generally
cover this type of liability.) Should you decide to hire a caregiver
privately, to reduce the potential for fraud, abuse and safety concerns it
is recommended that you conduct a thorough interview and background check
to determine the caregiver’s
criminal history status, driving record, drug use, level of training or
experience, communicable disease status, and knowledge of infection control
procedures. Finally, you will need a back-up plan for care when the primary
caregiver is unable or unwilling to work.
For more on NPDA safeguards, please
visit their website at www.privatedutyhomecare.org or
request a copy of their brochure from Visiting Nurse Plus.
