A professional home care agency should work diligently to ensure the best possible ‘fit’ between you and your caregivers. Three important elements in this process are as follows:
1. A thorough, professional evaluation of your home care needs must be carried out, and must include clear, open communication with you, your doctor, and your family members (if applicable). Having a clear understanding of your condition ensures that everyone knows which services (medical, non-medical or both) will be needed, how they will be provided, and the treatment goals that must be achieved.
2. The choice of caregivers placed in your home must reflect home care goals as outlined in your plan of care. This means the agency must have caregivers who can partner with you to carry out the necessary tasks to support that plan.
3. Supervision of your home care services by professional staff is vital to ensuring you keep making progress toward your goals as outlined in your plan of care. It also encourages ongoing candid and open communication between you and your family, your doctor, your caregivers, and the agency responsible for providing your care.
Other Things that Affect Your Home Care Experience
To ensure the best possible results from the home care services you receive, here are few more practical suggestions:
• Work with the family doctor to identify what you or your loved one needs. Have a candid conversation to discuss all the possible issues associated with your home care services. Your doctor may have or know of resources to help educate you on getting the most benefit from your home care services. S/he can also be an important advocate and partner in the process.
• Determine what role (if any) your family and friends will play in your care. Having another frank discussion about your home care needs with family members and friends who may become involved in your care will help set expectations and clarify what kind of involvement they will have.
• Work with your home care team as actively as possible and according to your plan of care/service plan. Forging a mutually respectful, cooperative relationship with your caregivers will enhance your progress as you return to health and independence.
After all, this is your team, and they are there to both educate and help you achieve the goals you and your doctor have established.
Conversely, you can educate your team on the various aspects of your home care services that will make you feel more comfortable and thus keep you moving forward in your plan of care.
• Communicate regularly with your home care agency. As part of any good plan of care, there should be regular supervisory visits from professional agency staff to evaluate your progress and the quality of care you are receiving from your caregiving team.
This is an excellent opportunity to share any concerns or issues you have about the services you are receiving. That way, any issues that do arise can (and should) be promptly addressed and resolved. However, you may also communicate directly with the agency and should receive contact information from them for that purpose.
Being prepared does make a difference…
Because life hands us surprises, it can be difficult at the time to know who can help—especially when an illness, an injury or a disability is involved.
But being prepared with information about resources in your community who have the infrastructure, longevity, skills, and expertise you need, can make a critical difference in how quickly and how successfully you return to health and independence.
