The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office has certified CHC as a

• Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE)
• Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) and
• Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)

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.

And, as of today, our rating is A!

• How many caregivers do you have on staff who provide xxx service?
• What qualifications, credentials or licenses do they have?
• Do they all speak the needed language(s)?
• How are caregivers assigned?
• What happens when a caregiver cannot visit a client?
• Are all caregivers bonded? Insured?

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”?

• Asking your loved one what they feel they have trouble doing on their own
• Discussing their needs with their doctors and others who interact with them
• If you are providing care yourself, list what you do as well as what you are not able to do
• Add the needed language(s) to your list

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.

• Asking friends and family for recommendations
• Asking your loved one’s doctor for suggestions
• Contacting your local senior center
• Searching online or in the phone book

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.

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.

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.

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.