Our caregivers are trained in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care and are also trained to implement Comfort Keepers’® unique Interactive Caregiving™ system. With Interactive Caregiving™, the Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care provider will get to know the senior on a personal level, learning about likes, dislikes, and even past events in the senior’s life. While developing a relationship with the senior, the caregiver can plan activities that could help the senior simulate mental or physical activities that have been shown to create more lucid thoughts. The senior and care provider can listen to music together from the senior’s favorite era, read an old favorite book, or even do memory exercises like looking through family photos or discussing current events.
Keeping seniors engaged physically and mentally can help to reduce challenging behavior and remain safe and calm.
20 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Home Care Agency
Before choosing a care provider, make sure you ask the right questions. Use this checklist when interviewing any agency:
- Does your agency carry liability coverage?
- How many years has your agency been in business serving the community?
- Do you conduct national and local criminal and vulnerable sector background checks and driving records of all employees? Are personal and professional references required?
- Are caregivers employees of your company (not contractors) and protected by Workers’ Compensation?
- Are caregivers bonded and insured for theft?
- Do you have a systematic method for tracking caregiver arrival and departure times at the client’s home?
- Do you provide 24/7 telephone service?
- Do you provide backup coverage in the event a caregiver cannot make it to work?
- Does your agency require a minimum number of hours per shift? If so, what is the minimum?
- Do your services include personal care such as bathing, incontinence care, and mobility assistance?
- Does your agency provide transportation services for clients?
- Does your agency maintain a business office where I can meet you and the office staff?
- Do you provide in writing the care services offered, all rates and fees, and written invoices detailing services and costs?
- Do you have office staff I may contact for information?
- Does your agency make periodic supervisory visits to a client’s home?
- Can you provide documentation explaining the client’s rights, your code of ethics, Workers’ Compensation and PIPEDA compliance?
- Can you provide emergency monitoring systems, medication solutions and other safety technology?
- Will your agency provide an in-home assessment prior to starting service?
- How quickly can your agency initiate service?
- Are your caregivers certified to provide personal care? Do you provide training to caregivers including orientation and ongoing education?
Selecting the Right In-Home Care
Everyone comes to in-home care for different reasons. The keys are recognizing when to introduce care and how to choose the right provider. Use the checklist below to help guide your decision.
Is It Time to Consider In-Home Care?
Ask yourself whether your loved one is experiencing any of the following:
- Has there been a recent emotional or medical crisis?
- Does the individual bathe less often, or not at all?
- Are pills left over or running out too soon?
- Does the individual need help walking?
- Is he/she becoming more forgetful?
- Have there been recent falls?
- Is your loved one having problems sleeping?
- Has there been recent weight loss?
- Has he/she lost interest in eating?
- Is his/her hearing or vision affecting the ability to function?
- If he/she smokes, are there burn marks?
- Is your loved one able to do errands alone?
- Is clothing being changed daily?
- Is your loved one content to just sit in a chair?
- Is there less participation in conversations?
- Are there scorch marks on pot holders or dish towels?
- Are there signs of burnt pans on the stove?
- Is routine house cleaning not being done?
- Have social activities stopped or diminished?
If you answered yes to even one of these questions, it may be time to consider in-home care.