Home care comes in a variety of forms – from spouses and family members, to friends or acquaintances looking for a way to make extra money, to both a unlicensed and licensed home care agency.
When your loved one requires home care, outside the realm of spouse and immediate family circle – whether that be for respite care, or on a more regular or day-to-day basis – it is always in your best interest to work with licensed home care providers.
What Does Licensed Home Care Agency Mean?
As a means of ensuring education, training and experience – as well as protecting clients from elder abuse – the state of California has created licensing and/or certification boards that govern the home care industry. The Home Care Bureau of California is one such example of this. Working with agencies registered with third-party, industry-recognized entities helps to validate that:
- Home care providers are licensed
- The individual caregivers are current in their education, training and industry best practices
- That caregivers have been screened and passed complete background checks and DMV clearance
- The any disputes against the agency have been investigated and settled
- That you are protected and have a means of following through if care is negligible or lacking in any way
- The agency and caregivers are subject to unannounced visits to ensure the environment they create and the care they provide meet or exceed state standards
When scheduling a consultation with a particular home care provider – whether private or working with an agency – ask for their license number and check it with the governing agency to verify it is both legitimate and current.
The Benefits of Working With a Licensed Home Care Agency
Above and beyond safety, professionalism and accountability – there are other benefits to working with a licensed home care agency:
Education paired with experience
The home care industry is attuned to the latest research and innovations when it comes to seniors and memory care. As a result, licensed agencies are more likely to keep on the latest research by attending and/or sending their employees to classes, conferences and training sessions to keep abreast of the latest-and-greatest caregiving techniques and information. This benefits clients and helps your loved one to receive the best, most relevant care for his/her situation.
You won’t be left in the lurch
If you hire a single, private home caregiver, you can wind up left in the lurch if s/he is sick, a child is sick or a family emergency arises. A licensed home care agency has access to multiple, licensed care providers so you’ll never be left with an appointment to cancel, having to take additional time off work or with the stress that a long-distance parent or loved one is left without care.
Costs are more likely to be absorbed by Medicare and/or health insurance carriers
Did you know many aspects of home health care are covered by insurance companies, including Medicare, MediCal and/or the Veterans Affairs Administration, depending on the client’s diagnosis and prognosis?
If a client is unable to attend appointments or tend to their own care as a result of being home- or bed-bound – you may find certain aspects of their home care is partially- or fully subsidized. However, these insurance carriers almost always require care be provided by a licensed home care provider or agency.
Employee taxes, benefits and insurance are taken care of
Odds are your caregiver pays taxes and is interested in healthcare insurance, social security and/or some other type of retirement benefit. This can add several dollars per hour to the amount you pay each shift. A reputable licensed home care agency will build these benefits into their payroll so they take on these responsibilities without you having to worry about it. We have access to more affordable, shared-cost benefit options for small- and medium business owners that an individual hiring a caregiver would not have the ability to tap into.
Caregivers are available on short notice
Optimally, we prefer to meet for a full, in-home assessment and consultation before contracting with an individual client. However, life doesn’t always pan out “optimally.” Just as you’ll never be without care if your normal care provider isn’t available, a licensed home care agency has caregivers available on short-term notice if/when you find yourself needing a break or have another emergency that will take you away from your loved one for a day, a night, or even extended periods of time.
HomeAide Home Care, Inc. is a licensed home care agency servicing Alameda County and the surrounding Bay Area. Our team of licensed, experienced and compassionate caregivers have decades of experience and view their work as a joy and a calling. Contact us to learn more about our services or to schedule a consultation. We believe, “there’s no place like home,” and feel confident our loving caregivers are second to none.
Speak Your Mind