WHAT TO ASK…When Interviewing a Home Healthcare Agency |
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AGENCY INTERVIEWED: ______________________ Date: _______________ |
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| What types of care level do you offer? | |
| Medical Home Health Care | Companion Care |
| Non-Medical Home Health Care | Adult Day Care |
| Physical Therapy / Rehab | Hospice |
| Costs: | |
| What are your hourly prices for:________________________________________ | |
| Days? _____________________________________________________________ | |
| Nights? ____________________________________________________________ | |
| Weekends? ________________________________________________________ | |
| Holidays? __________________________________________________________ | |
| How does the agency handle billing?____________________________________ | |
| Is there a sliding fee schedule based on ability to pay?_____________________ | |
| Is financial assistance available to pay for services?_______________________ | |
| AGENCY: | |
| Do they have any printed brochures describing the services it offers and how much they cost? If so, get one. | |
| How long has the agency been serving this community? | |
| Is the agency an approved Medicare provider? | |
| Are the activities posted? | |
| Is the quality of care certified by a national accrediting body? | |
| Does they have a current license to practice (if required in the state where you live)? | |
| Does they offer seniors a “Patients’ Bill of Rights” that describes the rights? Does it cover responsibilities of both the agency and the senior being cared for? |
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| Does they write a plan of care for the patient, with input from the patient, his or her doctor and family? Do they update the plan as necessary? |
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| Does the care plan outline the patient’s course of treatment? Does it describing the specific tasks to be performed by each caregiver? |
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| Does your agency have Professional Liability insurance? | |
| What is your agency’s minimum care level requirement? | |
| Hours per visit? | |
| Visits per week? | |
| STAFF: | |
| How are agency caregivers hired and trained? | |
| What type of employee screening is done? | |
| Will the agency provide a list of references for its caregivers? | |
| How closely do supervisors oversee care to ensure quality? | |
| Will agency caregivers keep family members informed about the kind of care their loved one is getting? | |
| Are agency staff members available around the clock, seven days a week, if necessary? | |
| Does the agency have a nursing supervisor available to provide on-call assistance 24 hours a day? | |
| How does the agency ensure patient confidentiality? | |
| Who does the agency call if the home health care worker cannot come when scheduled? | |
| What is the procedure for resolving problems when they occur, and who can I call with questions or complaints? | |
| WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT HOME HEALTH CARE? | |
| There are several national organizations that can provide additional consumer information about home health care services. These include the following:The National Association for Home Care, which can be reached at 202-547-7424 or by visiting its website at www.nahc.org. The postal address is: 228 7th St., SE; Washington, DC 20003The Visiting Nurse Associations of America, which can be reached at 617-737-3200 or by visiting its website at www.vnaa.org. Thepostal address is: 99 Summer St., Suite 1700; Boston, MA 02110.US Dept of Health and Human Services Administration on Aging, Washington, DC 20201 phone (202) 619-0724 fax (202) 357-3523 Email: aoainfo@aoa.gov Our website at www.aoa.gov |
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