Finding the Right Home Care Agency and Caregiver: 15 Questions to Ask

 It is so important to research and consider options carefully when looking into a home care agency to assist your loved one. Some agencies may not provide adequate screening or training of their caregivers. Also, finding a compatible caregiver for a client is crucial and should be a priority to the home care agencies you consider.

Here are 15 questions to ask when contacting home care agencies.

1. How do you recruit caregivers, and what are your hiring requirements?

In-home caregiver jobs have different requirements. Most highly regarded home care agencies require CNA or HHA certifications. Visiting Angels Newton/Canton, for example, hires CNAs and HHAs with experience in caregiving, and the caregivers typically have a strong employment history in caring for seniors.

2. What types of screening and background checks are performed on caregivers before you hire them?

You want to ensure that the agency has checked the caregivers’ background through legitimate records and databases, not through an unverifiable source.

3. Is your agency bonded and insured, and does your agency meet all state and local requirements?

Visiting Angels Newton/Canton is bonded and insured. It not only meets Massachusetts state requirements but is also an award-winning home care agency. Visiting Angels Newton/Canton has won the Best Home Care Provider and Best of Home Care Employer awards from Home Care Pulse, an independent satisfaction and quality assurance company, for the past six years.

4. What kind of health-related training, if any, do your in-home caregivers have?

It’s essential to ensure that the caregiver or home health aide you choose is appropriately trained for your needs. For example, Visiting Angels Newton/Canton provides an orientation class for new caregivers, Visiting Angels University, an online educational program, and a partner program with a local community college. Caregivers are taught how to assist clients with transfers through Hoyer lifts and gait belts, provide comfort to seniors with dementia, and other crucial skills to help ensure clients are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.

5. Does your agency provide specialized and continuing education for caregivers?

A good agency will have caregivers trained to handle specific needs, such as dementia care, through specialized education. Some agencies may have advanced training programs available, such as Visiting Angels’ Palliative Care Training.

6. How are your training programs developed?

Reputable agencies like Visiting Angels often provide training that has been developed with nationally recognized experts, such as their Dementia Care Professionals of America (DCPA), which is an Alzheimer’s Foundation of America-sponsored formal training and qualification program for caregivers.

7. What competencies will the caregiver have (e.g., lifting and transfers, homemaking skills, personal care skills including bathing, dressing, toileting, behavioral management training, cognitive support)?

Not every situation will require a caregiver with all of these skills, but it is important to know what a caregiver can do. Be sure to share your loved one’s requirements and ask the agencies you are contacting if they have caregivers available with the skillsets needed to provide the appropriate support to them.

8. How do you assess what the caregiver is capable of doing?

Not every caregiver is a match for every client’s needs. A good agency will conduct an initial assessment to determine the client’s requirements and evaluate each caregiver’s skills, strengths, and personality to provide a good match.

9. What is your policy on providing a substitute caregiver if a regular caregiver cannot provide the contracted services?

Emergencies happen, but you need to know that your care needs will still be met. Visiting Angels Newton/Canton and other quality agencies have policies to ensure that clients are not left without a caregiver.

10. If there is dissatisfaction with a particular caregiver, can they be replaced “without cause”?

Home care is very personal, and sometimes the right match between caregiver and client doesn’t happen right away. An agency like Visiting Angels Newton/Canton will work with you to find a different caregiver to make sure your loved one is cared for, and you have peace of mind.

11. Does the agency provide a supervisor to evaluate the quality of home care regularly? How frequently? Does supervision occur over the telephone, through progress reports, or in person at the older adult’s home?

A combination of monitoring, such as telephone and in-home visits, is recommended to ensure the best level of care. Visiting Angels Newton/Canton assigns a case manager to each client and their family. The case manager supports the client and their family every step of the way. The office and on-call staff are also available to assist and support clients and their families twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

12. How long has the home care agency been in business?

A national franchise should have a high level of agencies with a long track record — at Visiting Angels, 60% of all franchises have been in business five or more years, which is more than 10% higher than the national average. Visiting Angels Newton/Canton has been in business for over seventeen years.

13. How does the agency stay abreast of new techniques and research in home care?

Franchise agencies usually have a strong network of ongoing skills training to draw on. Still, every agency should participate in local network and education opportunities to ensure they are providing the most current care modalities. The Visiting Angels Newton/Canton staff and owners participate in ongoing training and franchise conferences regularly.

14. What hours can the caregivers work? When are they available?

You need to be able to schedule help when you need it, and a good agency will work to provide care. Visiting Angels Newton/Canton offers hourly care, 24-hour home care and live-in services, temporary or long-term care, weekend and holiday care, as well as respite for family caregivers.

15. Can we meet the caregiver before the person starts work?

Meeting and approving the proposed caregiver before hiring helps to reassure you and prepare your loved one. Caregivers and clients build a special bond and feel like part of the family if there is a good match.

Starting up home care for a senior loved one can be daunting. Too often, families don’t know what questions to ask, so they choose an agency that may not be the right fit. It’s so important to ask questions and be confident that the agency you choose can stand by you when you need them. We hope these questions will help you feel more confident in your choices.

If you’re interested in more information about how in-home care can help your senior loved ones in Newton, MA, and surrounding communities, contact Visiting Angels Newton/Canton at 617–795–2727.

About Visiting Angels Newton/Canton

Visiting Angels Newton/Canton MA is an award-winning home care agency providing high-caliber home care services for seniors and people with disabilities for over seventeen years. Countless families have benefited from our home care assistance, senior companion support, respite for family caregivers, 24-hour and live-in home care, dementia, and Alzheimer’s care, transitional aid, and home health care services in Dedham, Needham, Natick, Wellesley, Stoughton, Brookline, Canton, Watertown, Jamaica Plain, Newton, Norwood, Roslindale, Upper Back Bay, Westwood, and neighboring communities. The non-medical assistance provided by Visiting Angels Newton/Canton home care can make a significant impact on your loved one’s happiness and quality of life.

If you are interested in more information about how in-home care can help your senior loved ones, contact us today at 617–795–2727 to schedule a free in-home consultation.

Professional Elder Care Supports Family Caregivers

 If you provide care for a loved one living with age-related challenges or disabilities, you’re not alone. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving & AARP, around 44 million Americans act as family caregivers.

While such a considerable portion of the population is involved in providing unpaid assistance for those they love, these individuals rarely have the support they require to maintain their health and well-being. That’s why it’s crucial for family caregivers to have access to reliable, high-quality elder care services they can reach out to for assistance.

Many people view elder care as being primarily beneficial for older adults who need support with necessary activities of daily living. However, professional care providers also work to promote family caregivers’ well-being by giving them respite from their duties, relief from worry, and time to focus on their own self-care.

At Visiting Angels Newton/Canton, we’re proud to offer in-home care services that support elderly adults and any family members or close friends who are involved in their care.

The Emotional, Physical, and Mental Demands of Being a Caregiver

Caring for a loved one can be demanding on many levels. For example, if your loved one requires support with getting out of bed, bathing, or general mobility, you may feel physically exhausted. Rather than using free time to cook yourself a healthy meal, get some exercise, or socialize with friends, you may find you no longer have the energy to do the kinds of activities that once brought you joy.

Caregiving is also mentally exhausting, which is especially challenging for those helping a loved one who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or a memory disorder. Family caregivers are responsible for ensuring they’re loved one is keeping up with their medication schedules and attending the appropriate doctors’ appointments or therapies. It’s also up to you to keep your loved one mentally stimulated and engaged in conversation. Having to be “on” all the time can leave you feeling burned out.

Finally, family caregivers must also deal with a range of emotions that often arise when assisting a loved one with age-related challenges. Although you may wish you could focus on making memories and spending precious time with your loved one, it’s almost impossible to maintain the relationship you once had while also managing their care needs.

It is easy to become frustrated or angry when your loved one refuses care or pushes back on your caregiving style. After all, they may not be prepared for this kind of role reversal. It can also be heart-wrenching to see them struggle with daily living activities that once came naturally to them.

How Senior Home Care Services Help Family Caregivers

In-home elder care can make the responsibility of caring for a loved one so much more manageable. It’s totally up to you which tasks you want the home caregiver to handle and how often you want them to visit. You can choose to continue meeting some of your loved one’s age-related needs or concentrate on being the caring son, daughter, or grandchild you’ve always been.

From transportation to doctors’ appointments to medication reminders, mobility assistance, and dignified support with personal care, our team at Visiting Angels Newton/Canton can offer the assistance required to help older adults age in place. This means we can easily step in to deliver care while you’re on an extended vacation, or we can take over the management of your loved one’s care requirements completely.

You can also have a professional care provider visit for a few hours each week to give you a much-needed break from your duties. Doing so will give you the gratification of participating in your loved one’s care while ensuring you can maintain a balanced lifestyle. Visits can be scheduled around your work and social life, and you can build a flexible plan of care based on both your needs and the needs of your loved one.

When to Seek Professional Assistance

It’s never too early to get started with a professional care provider. Even if you feel your loved one’s needs are manageable for the moment, they could change significantly without warning. Helping your loved one become familiar with their caregiver and establishing a regular schedule will make the transition to professional in-home support manageable and more comfortable for everyone.

Still unsure of whether it’s time to get started with professional elder care? Here are some signs of stress that could indicate your responsibilities are having a negative impact on your health and well-being:

• Feeling overwhelmed
• Constant worry or anxiety
• Often feeling overtired or exhausted
• Inability to adopt a regular sleep schedule
• Significant weight changes
• Frequent headaches or body aches
• Loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy

If you’re interested in more information about how in-home care can help your senior loved ones, contact us today.

Providing Safe, High-Quality Care the Elderly Deserve

The healthy and safety of our clients and caregivers are our priority. Visiting Angels Newton/Canton follows and adheres to the latest health and safety guidelines issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Despite the challenges associated with COVID-19, in-home caregivers fulfill Visiting Angels’ mission of partnering with families to provide essential at home living assistance for older adults.

Visiting Angels’ in-home caregivers continue to be homecare heroes on the frontlines, taking necessary steps to protect elderly loved ones and themselves, following regulations to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

About Visiting Angels Newton/Canton

Visiting Angels Newton/Canton is an award-winning local home care agency providing high caliber in-home care services to the elderly and people with disabilities. Countless families have benefited from our in-home dementia care, Alzheimer’s care, respite care, live-in and 24-hour care, companion care, transitional aid, and in-home care services in Brookline and Boston area neighborhoods, including Canton, Dedham, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Natick, Needham, Newton, Norwood, Roslindale, Stoughton, Upper Back Bay, Watertown, Wellesley, West Roxbury, Westwood, and neighboring communities.

Three Common Senior Ailments That Make Caregiving Harder

Many seniors struggle with chronic medical conditions that must be carefully managed, not just by health professionals, but also by professional caregivers. We spoke with several professional caregivers about common ailments among seniors that can complicate caregiving and how you can help improve the quality of life for your aging loved one.

Mobility Challenges

Limited mobility poses more challenges to caregiving. Arthritis affects several adults over the age of 65, making it one of the most common chronic conditions seniors must manage. Osteoporosis, another common diagnosis in seniors, can increase the risk of fractures or falls, leading to significant disability. Falls caused by weak bones or arthritis can make it painful or difficult to complete day to day tasks and prevent your loved one from being physically active.

Seniors with mobility problems are particularly at risk for injury inside the home. Keeping the house free of clutter or other potential hazards should be the first step to keeping your loved one with mobility challenges safe.

Staying active is also essential for health and well-being for people of all ages, but this may be challenging for those with pain or difficulty moving. Consider speaking to your loved one's doctor to come up with a plan for staying physically active. This may mean a referral to a physical therapist or exercise physiologist who specializes in working around mobility difficulties.

Swallowing Difficulties

Did you know that as we age, it is more common to have difficulties with chewing or swallowing? Missing teeth or poorly fitting dentures may cause chewing problems. Swallowing difficulties, called dysphagia, can happen when the esophagus becomes weak, or other physical changes occur.

Nicole Keels-McGruder, a professional caregiver, states that caring for seniors with swallowing or chewing difficulties can cause significant challenges. She recalls a senior she cared for, “who could not drink thin fluids and all of her foods had to be pureed. A thickener had to be added to her drinks. Making sure that she was properly elevated during meals was also something that I learned the hard way. Because of her condition, I stayed in the room with her for an additional 30 minutes to make sure that all of her food was down.” Nicole added that the time it took to prepare, puree, thicken, and ensure proper positioning was much more demanding of her time and energy.

Getting help with food preparation or supervision of meals can help your loved one if they have been diagnosed with dysphagia. A home health aide can help relieve some of the pressure in caring for and supervising a loved one with dysphagia or other swallowing concerns.

Infectious Diseases

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, older adults are more susceptible to infectious diseases. Common contagious illnesses that can impact the elderly include urinary tract infections and digestive and respiratory diseases, like pneumonia and influenza. It is also more challenging to diagnose people over 65 because they don't always present with typical symptoms. Instead, they can experience more generalized symptoms like loss of appetite, a change in mental status or incontinence. A difficulty with a diagnosis can lead to prolonged discomfort and a higher risk of hospitalization. 

For family caregivers, it is essential to understand the signs and symptoms of common infections to start treatment as soon as possible. Look for sudden changes in behavior, confusion, skin infections, chills, difficulty breathing, cough, fever, digestive disturbances, or lack of appetite. These symptoms should be evaluated immediately by a medical doctor who can determine the best course of action. An annual flu shot is also recommended for all seniors.

Home Care Demands a Village

All this is to say that you should genuinely consider your role in your aging parent's in-home care. Ailments like these are so common among the elderly, the degree of care your loved one needs is sure to evolve. While you may be able to handle things initially, are you genuinely ready to juggle a parent's worsening ailment with your own family and responsibilities?

Many of these conditions that impact older adults are chronic and require regular management. Getting help from a senior home care agency can be instrumental in ensuring your loved one’s quality of life.

About Visiting Angels Newton/Canton

Choosing the right home care provider is a difficult decision, and you want the best for your loved one. Our experienced and compassionate home caregivers have served countless seniors and disabled adults in Greater Boston with dignity and respect for over 14 years. As a result of our exemplary home care service, Visiting Angels Newton/Canton has won the Best of Home Care Leader in Excellence Award; the Best of Home Care Provider of Choice Award; and the Best of Home Care Employer of Choice Award from the national client satisfaction survey firm Home Care Pulse five years in a row. We have accreditation by Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts and have been awarded Boston Globe Top Places to Work.

Visiting Angels Newton/Canton offers dementia home care, Alzheimer’s care, companion care, respite support, transitional aid, live-in care and other elder home care services in Wellesley, Natick, Newton, Needham, Brookline, Chestnut Hill, Canton, Westwood, Dedham, Water-town, Stoughton, Roslindale, Norwood, and nearby towns. The services provided by Visiting Angels Newton/Canton will be sure to make a positive impact on your loved one’s happiness and quality of life. Call us today at 617-795-2727 for more information.

Senior Home Care Services Can Help Your Loved One Develop an Active Lifestyle

If it were up to Leslie’s 85-year-old dad, he would be happy to sit at the computer and play games or watch TV most days.

She saw that first-hand after her dad took a tumble last spring and broke a bone in his hip. The spill sent him first to the hospital and then to a rehabilitation center before he could go back to his summer home in Florida, with a care plan to continue his exercises.

“The problem is, he didn’t do them,” says Tennyson. So, she hired a physical therapist to come to his home twice a week to work on exercises to keep him active. “It was helpful,’’ said Tennyson, who is now using this experience to guide her in selecting future home care services in Wellesley, where her dad lives the rest of year.

“Once he got the push, he could drive himself to the grocery store and get back to cooking -- a hobby he enjoys,” she said. “He needed some motivation.”

Staying Sedentary is Unhealthy

Staying active is key to maintaining physical, emotional, and psychological health. While older adults may worry that becoming more active could result in injury, the National Institute of Health (NIH) says staying sedentary is what is harmful.

“Studies show that ‘taking it easy is risky,’’ the NIH says. “For the most part, when older people lose their ability to do things on their own, it doesn’t happen just because they’ve aged. It’s usually because they have lived a sedentary lifestyle.”

According to a U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health, inactive people are nearly twice as likely to develop heart disease as those who are active. Moreover, a lack of physical movement can lead to a higher number of visits to the doctor, hospitalizations, and added use of medications for a variety of illnesses.

Leslie said her dad’s surgery and subsequent therapy was the “wake up call I needed” to start looking for senior home care services. The experience helped her recognize that a home health care provider will motivate her dad to continue an active lifestyle as well as incorporate his hobbies.

The benefits of physical activity, according to that U.S. Surgeon General report, are numerous. Physical activity has been shown to:

• Maintain the ability to live independently while reducing the risk of falling
• Lower the risk of dying from coronary heart disease and of developing high blood pressure, colon cancer, and diabetes
• Improve stamina and muscle strength in people with chronic, disabling conditions
• Reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, while fostering well-being
• Maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints, and controls joint swelling and pain linked to arthritis

Moreover, if that isn’t enough, consider the benefits of maintaining social activities. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) points to research and studies that show aging adults who continue hobbies and social interactions are:

• Less likely to develop certain diseases and may be at a lower risk for developing health problems, including dementia
• More likely to live longer
• Happier and less depressed
• Better prepared to cope with loss

Professional Caregiver Improves Senior’s Health and Outlook

Like many family caregivers who struggle with bouts of caregiver guilt, Leslie is aware that she likely doesn’t push her dad enough or recognize how to get him to pursue his hobbies. However, it is now at the top of her list of questions to ask a professional caregiver because she saw first-hand how her dad's health and his outlook improved.

She said she wants to hear a potential provider ask her dad what his hobbies are, what he enjoys doing around the house, and she will then ask for a care plan to continue those activities.

Leslie is looking for professionals to empower her dad, not enable him.

“I want him to be as independent as possible," says Leslie. “I don’t want him to give up physically or emotionally. The home health care company that appeals to me will not just do the function of following the care plan, but will produce a positive attitude and atmosphere.”

How to Stay Active

There are four areas to concentrate on for your parent to remain or to become active. You can help Mom or Dad work on these a little each day. None of the exercises below require a gym membership, and many activities can be done at home with the help of a home health care professional. Remember to have your parent talk with a doctor before beginning any exercise program.

Endurance

Endurance exercises get the heart pumping and increase breathing. Focusing on endurance helps with everyday activities like walking up stairs and shopping. Encourage your parent to:

• Rake leaves or sweep the floor
• Dance
• Take a brisk walk or bike ride

Strength

Muscle conditioning exercises help your parent build strength and can help him or her with activities like keeping up with grandchildren and carrying groceries. Encourage your parent to:

• Grab a tennis ball and grip and release for several times in each hand.
• Use a can of vegetables as a small weight and lift, do arm curls and push it toward the ceiling.
• Stand behind a chair, with his or her hands on the back for balance and come up on the toes and come back down, then repeat several times.

Balance

Falling is a significant concern among aging adults, and for a good reason, one in four Americans, aged 65-plus falls each year. Focusing on balance exercises can help your parent become more stable and reduce falls. Encourage your parent to:

• Stand behind a chair and using it for stability, raise a leg and hold it up for a few seconds. Repeat on the other leg.
• Walk heel-to-toe in a straight line across the room.
• Check out a YouTube video on fundamental Tai Chi and follow along with the exercises.

Flexibility

Flexibility exercises are stretches that will help your parent remain limber. Staying agile will help your parent get dressed, put on shoes, and take down or put away items on shelves. Encourage your loved one to:

• Sit on a bench or the floor and extend one leg and bend their upper body slowly forward toward the leg. Switch sides and repeat.
• Throw a towel over the left shoulder, holding with the left hand and grabbing the towel’s other end with the right (behind the back). Use the left hand to pull the right hand up toward the spine. The right arm should be relaxed as the towel is pulled with the left. Pull only to the point of resistance and hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

Starting slowly and with small steps towards being physically active is always better than doing nothing.

You or your professional caregiver can also help Mom or Dad map their progress by keeping a daily log. The National Institute of Health’s Go4life has a downloadable one here.

For more information on home care assistance services and how a professional caregiver can keep your parent active, contact us by filling out the form below.

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Sources:

• National Institute on Aging: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/participating-activities-you-enjoy
• National Institute of Health: https://go4life.nia.nih.gov/tip-sheets/real-life-benefits-exercise-and-physical-activity
• National Institute of Health: https://go4life.nia.nih.gov/sites/default/files/RealLifeBenefitsOfExerciseAndPhysicalActivity.pdf
• NIH: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/cognitive-health-and-older-adults

About Visiting Angels Newton/Canton:

Visiting Angels Newton/Canton MA is an award-winning local home care agency providing high caliber in-home care services to the elderly and people with disabilities. Countless families have benefited from our Alzheimer's care, dementia care, companion care, senior care, respite support, transitional aid, and elder home care services in Needham, Dedham, Brookline, Watertown, Canton, Stoughton, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Chestnut Hill, Roslindale, Westwood, Norwood and nearby towns . While non-medical in nature, the care provided by Visiting Angels Newton/Canton can make a significant impact on your loved one's happiness and quality of life. Call us at 617-795-2727 for information or fill out the form below!

What to Look for in Senior Care

If you have never cared for an elderly loved one, you might think that anyone can provide home care services. However, if you have cared for a parent or grandparent, you know that high-quality care takes a unique mix of skill, patience, and experience. It’s an essential point for anyone hiring home care services: high-quality senior home care means experienced senior home care.

To most people, that means hiring a caregiver with a proven background in senior services. While important, this is not all you should look for in senior home care. It’s just as crucial that you’re choosing a qualified, well-respected agency. If the agency is a part of a more extensive network, you’ll also want to consider their experience as an organization.

Trusted & Proven Company-Level Reputation

America’s most trusted caregiving companies are well-established names with proven track records. Usually, the easiest way to find qualified senior home care is to look for companies with a history of high-quality care.

The best home care companies earn their reputations by sharing resources, knowledge, and experience at every level of their organization. They also set and enforce rigorous caregiving standards, giving clients and their families peace of mind.

Families choose Visiting Angels for skilled elder home care. As a company, Visiting Angels has more than 20 years of caregiving experience. Over the years, it has created a rigorous support network for its local offices, allowing them to share knowledge and expertise. Every office is provided with the systems, tools, and educational resources needed to deliver truly exceptional care.

Visiting Angels Newton/Canton has been a member of this franchise since 2004. Our excellent customer feedback has enabled us to win Best of Home Care from the national client satisfaction survey firm, Home Care Pulse five years in a row.

Local Knowledge and Experience

If you’re hiring a caregiver through a local home care agency, you should evaluate the agency carefully. How long have they been in business? How are their relationships with their clients? Which systems and standards do they use to ensure high-quality care?

An experienced senior care agency will have rigorous staffing and screening standards, reducing the risk that you’ll be assigned an unqualified or untrustworthy caregiver. They will also have systems in place to measure and monitor caregiver performance.

At the same time, a great agency can help you make sure that your loved one receives the right kind of care. Every senior who receives home care has unique, individual needs. If elder care services aren’t adequately tailored to these needs, their quality of life can suffer. An experienced senior home care agency will work with you to customize a plan to best support your loved one. They will also help you plan care around your loved one’s schedule and your family’s financial situation.

Knowledgeable, Compassionate Home Care Providers

Knowledgeable senior home care depends on skilled home care providers. Prior caregiving experience makes it easier for caregivers to juggle various tasks, attend to seniors’ physical and emotional needs, recognize early signs of age-related decline, and build a rapport with their clients. HHA and CNA certification also helps to ensure a standard level of competence.

At Visiting Angels Newton/Canton, we place tremendous value on caregiver knowledge. We’ve developed rigorous recruitment guidelines to find the most qualified, most knowledgeable, and most trustworthy caregivers possible.

To ensure you find the right fit, we also allow you to Select Your Caregiver®. This way, you can be sure that your loved one is matched with a home care provider who can meet their needs and who will have a complementary personality.

Are you looking for senior home care in Newton, Wellesley, Natick, Needham, Brookline, Chestnut Hill, Canton, Westwood, Dedham, Watertown, Stoughton, Roslindale, Norwood, or nearby towns for your loved one? Contact Visiting Angels Newton/Canton today to request a free consultation.