This article provides you with some important things to consider when looking at employing private home care for yourself or a loved one.
The first step to choosing the right home care service is to understand the types of home care providers and services available to you.
Private home care companies provide a wide variety of services including Registered Nurses for complex care needs and Carers for companionship, personal care, housekeeping, cooking and outings. They may also provide other types of staff such as Assistants, Chefs Drivers, Personal Trainers, Physiotherapists, and Occupational Therapists to name a few.
There is no limit to the number of hours of care provided each week and you can generally increase or decrease the time as your requirements change. With an agreed notice period you are not required to pay for shifts you do not require.
Private Home Care services are arranged directly between you and the Private Home Care company. There is a wide variety in the level of quality and cost of home care companies.
When considering Private Home Care services below are some considerations for you to investigate and ask:
- Is the company Australian owned?
- Is it independently operated or part of a franchise?
- Do the owners / operators have experience in home care?
- Does the company have appropriate insurance?
- Do they provide documents about financial arrangements before service begins?
- Do they have a Service Agreement? It is important so that there’s no misunderstanding about the service and cost to be provided.
- Are they flexible? After all, it is all about you.
- What are their recruitment processes?
- Is there a criminal background check preformed prior to employment?
- Does the company comply with WorkCover requirements and provide worker’s compensation for employees? This is important so that you are not responsible for any injuries that occur at work – in your home.
- How do they determine appropriate staff for your needs? If a company asks where you live then offers you staff before even hearing about your needs you can be reasonably assured they allocate based on location as a priority.
- Is it possible to interview potential Carers and make a selection after those interviews?
- Do you get to decide what times and days suit your needs?
- Who will be working in the home? Will there be regular staff providing continuity of care or do they change shifts around?
- Is there a professional staff member, such as a Registered Nurse, that provides a plan to meet the needs of the client?
- Who is the company’s main contact for you? Do you meet a Manager / Owner and then never hear from them again?
- What additional support is offered within the cost of your care? For example are they available 24-hours a day, seven days a week?
