Choosing Your Caregiver
July 24, 2008
Choosing the “right” caregiver can be the “icing on top of the cake.” The cake may be great, but what a joy to have the icing! At CHS we spend time with the family and/or client asking questions, getting to know them, and, then, select the best person we have for that assignment. We ensure the client and the client’s family that they are guaranteed 100% customer satisfaction with their assigned caregiver. At any time, no questions asked, the client or client’s family can request a different caregiver. Of course, we encourage communication with the agency if the caregiver has done anything wrong. But, in cases of personality, or “it just doesn’t work”, a call to the supervisor is all the client needs to do to continue the search for the right caregiver.
When a client is first doing an assessment to sign up for services, it is important that they help the supervisor find the right person for the job! Some things to consider when selecting a caretaker either privately or with an agency are the following:
- Do you like a quiet or talkative person?
- Do you want a young person or older?
- Does strength and size matter as it pertains to the tasks you need done?
- Do they need to love pets? Tolerate pets?
- Do you need someone that smoking doesn’t bother?
- Do you want someone with a specific interest?
- Do they need to be a certified nurse assistant to better serve you?
- Do you want someone to read to you or do a certain activity with you?
- Do you need a driver? What sort of car will work?
- What characteristic of your caregiver is the most important to you?
Thinking through these questions will help the client and the client’s family discuss caretaker possibilities with their supervisor during the first assessment. Hopefully, that way, services will begin with the right caretaker for the assignment. The first two weeks should be used to “settle in” with the caregiver. A call to the supervisor should be made if improvements, changes in methods, or training “to do it your way” is needed. Or, if the first caregiver has not worked out, the client and client’s family can talk to the supervisor, and with the knowledge gained, make a better selection. Sometimes it requires “trying a few” to find the right long-term “fit” for a specific person.
Champion Homecare Solutions believes that spending the extra time at the beginning to help the client get the right caretaker will make a huge difference. We are committed to spending the time with our clients to make this happen.
It is our policy to assign permanent caregivers to all clients. The only exception is one hour clients, PRN, or flexible schedules that cannot be scheduled with one person. Then, we use a rotating process to minimize the number of people in the home. We, also, consider if having more than one caregiver is better for the client. For example, we have had very active business people who have needed short term care. They have preferred having several caregivers, instead of just one, because they enjoyed the diversity of conversations.
Choosing your caregiver will always be a joint effort of the client, the client’s family, our supervisor, and the “team of support” at CHS. Together we can be Champions!
Educating for End of Life Choices
July 22, 2008
Life is such a time-consuming adventure that many times families find themselves with loved ones at the end of life, devoid of the knowledge needed to make choices that will not wait. Perhaps, an other wise healthy loved one falls and end of life comes with out warning, or perhaps someone with a lifetime of good health has a stroke. Adult children and other family members are faced with decisions that they do not feel prepared to make.
Champion Homecare Solutions hears these stories every week. We feel it is part of our responsibility to help you be informed to make decisions.
Here is some good basic information with which to start:
- Personal Assistance Services – Routine ongoing care or services required by an individual in a residence or independent living environment that allow the individual to engage in the activites of daily living or to perform the physical functions required for independent living, including respite service. (In other words, PAS agencies are able to help your loved one in their home or other living facility, which includes hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, independent living, homes, foster homes, group homes or any other setting the client participates in activities, such as, school, work, or church.)
- Personal Assistance Service can bridge the gap between the hours the family can help, or it can provide 24 hour care for a client; all done in the privacy of the client’s own home.
- Personal Assistance Service gives the senior timely, flexible, in-home care and support, and still allows independence as much as possible.
- Personal Assistance Service agencies must complete a written plan prepared by the agency staff with family and client input. This is called a Individualized Service Plan or ISP.
- This plan will be given to the caregiver so the caregiver knows what is expected of them on a daily basis.
- The plan will be set in place for a certain time period, but may be redone if there is a significant change in the client’s condition and more or less services are needed. (At our agency the plan may be redone at request.)
- The question often comes up in family concerns if PAS services are enough. The answer depends on the client. PAS often works hand in hand with other agencies, such as, Home Health or Hospice.
- Home Health is given as a prescription by a doctor. It could be given for one or more of the following health services required by an individual in a residence or independent living environment: nursing, blood pressure monitoring, diabetes treatment, physical, occupational, speech, or respiratory therapy, medical or social service, intravenous therapy, dialysis, RN delegated tasks, the furnishing of medical equipment and supplies, excluding drugs and medicines, or nutritional counseling.
- Home Health can be in the home doing the medical needs and the PAS agency can be in the home doing the non-medical needs. The times assigned for each agency can complement each other.
- The state of Texas requires that state home health agencies coordinate care. This means that the agencies must work together to provide a team of assistance to your loved one.
- Hospice Agencies give palliative care for terminally ill clients and support service for both clients and their families. These services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, during the last stages of illness, during death, and during bereavement. These services are provided in the client’s home or residence.
- Often PAS works with hospice at the end of life by doing the non-medical needs of the client, as well as, the housecleaning, meal preparation, and other needs of the client.
- Learning the basics of these three agencies and their differences can help you toward your decisions. PAS can be paid from Medicaid; however, not every PAS agency is a Medicaid agency. So, you should ask. Many PAS agencies are private pay. Many agencies have a standard rate, and a lower rate for 24 hour care. It never hurts to ask. The lowest price may or may not be the best agency. Find out what you will get from the agency and well as what the standard for caregivers is.
- At our agency we follow stricter guidelines than required by the state for caregivers. We have supervisor case management so you always know who to talk to about your services. We offer 100% satisfaction with your caregiver no questions asked. We do not require a time contract. You may cancel with a 24 hour notice. No amount of time is too small or too large. We offer flexible PRN schedules. We offer split schedules. We give specialized first two week care to ensure your satisfaction and to make sure your individualized plan is the right plan for you.
- How do you decide if your loved one can stay in their home and receive the help they need? Consider the support you have above in Personal Assistance Services, Home Health, and in Hospice. Consider family available time and support. Consider finances. Consider preference and desires of the one needing services. Consider lifetime values. Find someone you trust to talk to about your decison. If we can help you, please call and ask questions. We train our supervisors that their job is not complete until you have found the solution to your need. That solution does not have to be us.