Finding the right homecare provider for you or your loved one can understandably be a major life decision. Choosing the right home health service that you can trust and that will satisfy your needs can be difficult, how do you know which home care company to go with? And what questions should you ask when this decision is put in front of you?

The following are a few tips that can be used when looking for the best homecare service;

Can they meet your needs?

Obviously everyone is different and everyone has different needs, so depending on your needs, can they be met by the home care company? This is where they’ll need to be asked directly, ‘’what services do you offer?’’

Most home care companies offer the same general services such as light house work, personal care, help with mobility, meal preparation and feeding, etc… but what if more specific or specialised care is required?

Communicare Healthcare can provide specialist care for palliative patients, tracheostomy care, and specialised care for people with intellectual or physical disabilities. This is something to consider when initially trying to choose what service provider to go with.

Who’s consulted when developing the care plan?

Care plans are a vital part of a home care services records. They should highlight all of their clients care needs and risks and the care plan should be reviewed regularly. The care plan is developed by the home care company, but you and your family should always be consulted about what goes into the care plan.

You should be able to request changes to your care plan to better suit your needs and it should be readily accessible to you, your representative and your care staff.

Communicare create tailor made care plans that document your requirements and any changes in your situation. Our healthcare assistants report on all daily activities, documenting any progress or decline in your health.

What procedures does the Homecare company have for emergencies?

If there is an emergency, is the home care company available to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? If you don’t require care at the same time each day, or if you need to change a day or time of care, what kind of flexibility will they have with their care staff?

Will the company be monitoring their care staff to ensure that they are providing care at the times they are supposed to? Do they use a real time clock in/clock out system that can give you and your family peace of mind?

Communicare does all of the above, we are always available to take your call, 24/7. All our staff members are required to clock into each shift, which provides us with real time information on the time and the location that our staff are clocking in and alerts are sent to our client service executives whenever someone has not clocked in for a shift, which they can then follow up with, ensuring that you are being provided care when you need it.

Will you be provided with right care staff?

How are care staff chosen to work with you? Are they vetted? Have they received the correct training? Do you have any choice when picking care staff?

Obviously, depending on your care needs, you might require a certain type of carer. If you are to be provided with personal care, you may ask to have a male or female carer. If it’s care for the elderly, you may want someone who is more mature to provide you with care. Ideally, you’ll want a care assistant that you can build a rapport with. Consistency with the right health care assistant can make a huge difference to the standard of life of someone who requires care.

Communicare always try to match our clients with a care assistant that meets their needs and will be someone they can get along with. It’s hugely important to us to give a more personal touch to our clients, so we believe making sure our clients and carers can build a rapport between each other will mean that we can provide the highest standard of care which will really give us and you peace of mind.

When faced with the decision of what care agency to choose from, it would be good to consider the opinion of friends, family and perhaps your GP or Public Health Nurse. Just know that when you take the time out to consider your options and you have asked the right questions, you will make the right decision.

If you have any questions on the types of care we can provide, please don’t hesitate to contact us on 01 8338000 or send an email to info@communicare.ie

Communicare Healthcare: Our Family, Caring For Yours