So, what do all those acronyms mean?
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office has certified CHC as a
These certifications mean that we are listed in the Massachusetts Supplier Directory for consideration on state contracts and purchases!
For more information on this program, visit the MA SDO website.
We are proud to report that CHC has just received accreditation from the Better Business Bureau!
And, as of today, our rating is A!
When you contact care providers you are considering, you should expect them to treat you with courtesy and to behave in a professional manner. Unless distance prevents, you should have a face-to-face meeting at the provider’s office to get a feel for their administration and to discuss how their organization can meet your loved one’s needs. Some questions you should ask are:
The answers to these questions should give you a feel for how well staffed the provider is with caregivers who are qualified to perform the services your loved one needs, and how they cover each other in the event of absences. By identifying what services are needed, you already know how critical each service is, and whether missing or delaying a regular visit would be a problem, but you need to get a feel for how interchangeable the staff is and how well-prepared they are to cover for each other. Don’t forget that caregivers need to be able to communicate with their client and with anyone else (like you) who needs information or provides instructions. And you need to know up-front, before a caregiver makes their first visit, that the company offers protection from any loss, theft, malpractice or injury.
Next: How good is the “fit”?
Care providers offer everything from professional medical care to help with housework and errands. You need to determine just what your loved one needs help with, so you can “shop” for just those services. Start by:
Once you know what types of assistance are needed, identify which local providers offer these services. Then, contact the providers to ask about the qualifications and cost of their caregivers to get a feel for the best “fit”.
Next topic: Questions to ask providers.
Create a list of the care providers in your loved one’s area by:
Through your everyday contacts, you may find you already know people who have found care providers they are happy with. Doctors and senior centers often face questions about caregivers, and may already have a list of providers they know.
Using the internet, you can enter the location and types of care you’re looking for into a search, and get a list of companies to check into. You can also visit the websites of care provider organizations or a state’s office for elder affairs for more suggestions. In the phone book, look under such headings as “Home Health Services” and “Elder Care” for provider names.
Next up: How to identify the needed services.
Two readers left comments on our first blog entry expressing concern about being the primary caregivers for an elderly loved one, and asking where to start in getting help with the care and how to share the responsibilities with other family members. These are weighty questions which will take several entries to address. Let’s start with why using professional elder care is important…
First, it is critically important to not be the only one providing care to someone else. Reasons include: preserving your own mental and physical welfare, balancing the “fairness” factor, providing variety in the elder’s life, having another perspective on the elder’s condition, and many others. There are plenty of excellent providers of elder care, and it is in the best interest of your loved one — and yourself — to hire one.
Second — to be blunt — is that people do not value what they get for free. If you are providing many forms of care for someone else, your other relatives probably don’t see the hours you put in and they aren’t attaching a price-tag to your work.
Third, you can hire professional caregivers with the training and expertise appropriate to your loved one’s needs. You already may not be able to provide every form of care the situation calls for, and the skills needed will likely change over time. By working with a professional service, you can obtain the services that are appropriate to the current circumstances, and easily change to different services in the future.
Next up: how to start your search for a provider.
When you fly, the flight attendants always tell you to take care of yourself before you take care of others. The same holds true if you are the caregiver for a loved one. If you neglect your own well-being, you won’t be able to help them. You may feel you can’t take time off for a vacation, but it is really important to give yourself a break so you don’t burn-out!
An at-home care provider might be a perfect solution. Develop a relationship with a service provider now, so they can “cover” for you when you need to get away.
As you can see, we have only just launched our blog. We would be grateful if you would ask questions or suggest topics you would like us to write about. Our services — and our expertise — include care for the elderly, the disabled or convalescents, in at-home settings or facilities.
We understand that making decisions about these services can be overwhelming, and we want to help make that process easier for you.
Please share your topics and questions by leaving a comment, and we will respond in a future posting.
