3 Questions to Ask When Hiring In Home Care Help

questions for hiring philadelphia in home care Hiring in home care services for a loved one can present a family with many unanswered questions. Usually, hiring in home care help represents a transition period in life, or it may be necessary after certain surgeries, accidents, diagnoses, etc. At Pennsylvania Agency of Nurses, we’d like to help your loved ones make decisions in stressful times. Here are some answers to common questions we get from Philadelphia-area families…

What level of skilled care is required?

In home care covers a wide range of services, from basic help with meal preparation and transportation to medication management and administration. Some family members require care 1-2 times a week, whereas others require round-the-clock care. Some care is temporary (ie, recovering from surgery), while longer term care is required elsewhere (dementia, Alzheimer’s, etc). Every family’s situation is unique, as are the requirements of the client in question. Since many Philadelphia families have had questions about what qualifications are necessary for certain types of care, we wrote this “Dear Nurse” blog to help explain the differences: What is the Difference Between an RN, LPN, CNA, and HHA? Of course, it’s best to just tell us about your family’s particular needs, and let us help you craft the best solution for a loved one’s care.

What is the hiring process for in home caregivers?

People make up the organization, and a quality in home care agency is no different. The management team sets the tone for the organization, and each person that is hired as part of the caregiving team has a big impact. This is why it’s important to ensure that the hiring process is thorough.

At Pennsylvania Agency of Nurses, we make sure to personally interview applicants who are being considered for a position, as well as run background checks, confirm training and certifications, and more. Caregiving requires a compassionate, giving personality, so this is something we look for in addition to competence and skill. Additionally, we take responsibility for our employees, and provide monthly training sessions on important topics to ensure that caregivers are current and competent at home care tasks. How does this benefit our clients? Families can be assured that PAN caregivers are up to date on best practices, that they have been thoroughly vetted, and that they can provide a high standard of care.

What about matching home care clients and caregivers?

This is one of the most critical elements of successful in home care. The client needs to feel comfortable and secure in who is helping them at home, and PAN takes great care to facilitate a proper personality match for this reason. All prospective clients will have an in-home visit first, so that our team has a better sense of the environment, required skill level, and personalities at play before matching a caregiver. Our Scheduling Supervisors (Michele and Lisa) are familiar with PAN caregivers on various shifts, and make excellent recommendations for client-caregiver matches. Very rarely do we get requests to change caregivers, as so much thought is put into the decision up-front. (But rest assured, if your loved one wants to make a change, we are happy to accommodate.)

Do you have more questions? We’d love to help answer them (be sure to check out our “Dear Nurse” blog as well!). We also invite you to browse our Client Testimonials to see what other Philadelphia-area families have to say about the level of care we provide. We are here for you!