Find Home Care Near Me

Finding the right agency for yourself or a loved one can feel utterly overwhelming. There are hundreds of agencies in any given state and all of them have different pay structures, hourly minimums, and scheduling requirements.

As an office administrator for an agency, the #1 thing I hear from folks who are looking for care for the first time is "I don't really know how any of this works." Home Care isn't really talked about until you realize you need it, and by then, you're drowning in a sea of unfamiliar terms, doing your best to stay afloat and make sure you or someone you care for is going to be looked after by someone trustworthy. Don't worry. I've got a life vest for you so you can set sail on your quest for care feeling safe and secure.

Step 1: Seeing what's nearby

When in doubt, do a quick search online. This is always a great way to start and help you get an idea of what agencies are within a radius of you or your family member's home. While it's not necessarily required for a caregiver to live in the same city for them to provide care, it can help reduce the risk of delays due to traffic or be helpful if you need some assistance sooner rather than later.

That being said, we have had caregivers willing to travel from Rochester to Shelton and provide excellent care for our clients, so if you're feeling like your local options aren't what you're looking for: don't sweat! There may still be options available.

When checking for local agencies, here are some things to consider when making a list of possible contacts:

• Do they have a Google Business page?

  • Not every business does. This can be a quick way of seeing whether the company has taken the time to set one up. It's free, and shows whether the agency has made the choice to make their information available online, which can be a good indicator of how active they are.

  • This is also a good place to check things like reviews or any posts the business has shared, as well as photos, all of which will help you get an idea of what type of place the agency is.

• Check the agency's website. Does it look nice? Is it easy to get access to the information you need? An agency that puts effort into its online appearance is a good way to gauge their quality. It's not a guarantee, but it's similar to seeing how well someone dresses when presenting themselves for an interview - it's shows a first impression.

• If they have a website, do they have any quickly available info that's useful to jot down?

  • Things like: hourly rate, service area, available services, wait time, acceptable insurance, etc.

These things can help you form an initial list of places you want to contact for more information, and give you some tools to help eliminate others.

Step 2: Making Contact

Once you've made a list of some places you're interested in, the next step is making contact and getting more information. There are a few different approaches you can try for this step that I'll cover, but first let's talk about the information you'll want to get from agencies when asking them about their services.

What do you need to know?

• Service Area

  • Does the agency provide services in your county or city?

• Services

  • Does the agency provide the services you're looking for?

    • There are a few different types of care that most agencies offer, typically broken down into ADLs and IADLs. I discuss ADLs in more depth and provide examples in this article. Essentially, Activities of Daily Living (or ADLs) are the things we need to do every day to sustain ourselves, like eat and shower, and IADLs are the additional tasks we do to support our living, like running errands and keeping our homes clean.

      • Here at Enlightenment Home Care, we refer to ADLs as "Personal Care," and IADLs as "Household Care"

  • Consider what sort of help you or your loved one needs: do they fall often and need someone to be with them to assist moving from room to room? Maybe they need help with reminders to take medication, or they are having trouble keeping their home clean? It's okay if you're not sure what exact help you need. A good agency will be able to help you figure that out.

• Payment

  • What will care cost?

  • Are there any changes to the rate, such as weekends, holidays, or overnight care?

  • How is care paid for? What is the pay period?

• Insurance

  • Do they accept the form of insurance you have? Some agencies cannot accept insurance through Medicare/Medicaid, so confirm if you or your family member have private insurance or not.

• Veteran Affairs Plan

  • If you or your family member is a veteran, does the agency have a contract that allows them to provide care for veterans under their VA plan?

• Scheduling

  • Most agencies have a minimum number of hours required to schedule a care visit, as well as weekly and/or monthly minimums for care.

  • Consider what your needs are before calling - do you need just a few days/week? Or more regular care several days/week? Look for an agency that can meet your needs without too much complication.

  • Does the agency require that you retain their services for a set period of time after becoming a client?

  • Are there any limitations to how you can adjust a schedule for care once it's established?

  • Does the agency offer as needed care or only ongoing recurring care?

I know it feels overwhelming, but the above criteria at least gives you a baseline of good information to gather when reaching out to potential agencies. You can compare them to one another and see if one or two stand out as the best option for your particular needs.

Making Contact

As I mentioned above, there are a couple ways to get in touch with agencies. The first is to call them using the numbers you found when conducting your initial online search. Many companies also have contact forms on their websites, if phone calls aren't your thing. Having an email trail can be useful for keeping track of any information shared as well.

DSHS has a page recommending where to look for care depending on the age of the person needing it.

You can also check your local area agency on aging for local resources related to elder care. An area agency on aging (AAA) is a public or private nonprofit agency designated by a state to address the needs and concerns of all older persons at the regional and local levels. AAA is a general term — names of local AAAs may vary.

Find your local AAA by visiting the Eldercare Locator website or calling 1-800-677-1116.

Another option is to take advantage of the services of referral companies like A Place for Mom, Care In Homes, or Caring.com. These companies are paid by home care agencies to send out referrals when someone puts in a request looking for care. The agencies will then call you to learn more about the care you're looking for.

This can be a really helpful option that saves some time hunting places down in your area, but be ready for a lot of calls! Agencies will be competing to be the one picked to care for you. If you can, try to contact agencies you are not choosing and ask them to remove you from their call list, or let them know via email. It will save you a lot of repetitive calls and they'll appreciate being able to move on to other opportunities.

Step 3: Making the Choice

Now that you've gathered some potential options and noted the above information for each of them, it's time to select the agency that is the best fit for you or your family member's needs. What this looks like will be different for each person, but in general it's best to consider what your priorities are and compare those for each agency.

Some examples of what to consider:

• Cost: Which is the most cost-effective option? What would the monthly cost look like for each agency, assuming you schedule the minimum number of hours each day?

• Flexibility: Which agency has the least restrictions on scheduling? Do they offer PRN (as-needed) care?

• Quality: Which agency has the best reviews? Is their website up-to-date and looks nice? Are people addressing things that are important to you in their reviews, such as caregiver skill and quality of care?

Every person's needs and reasons for seeking in-home care are unique, so treat this article as a general guide to help you narrow down some viable options for care. In the end, the choice is up to you and your family, but remember: you should never settle when it comes to care for yourself or a family member. If something doesn't feel like a good fit, doesn't work the way you thought it would, or isn't helping you or your family member, reach out to your agency and discuss your concerns. Home care should be a benefit, not a hassle.

Finding the right home care agency can be stressful and the process overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Utilize helpful tools like a basic internet search and local resources such as the Area Agency on Aging to find potential options that may work for you. Compare your options, keeping in mind things like cost, scheduling flexibility, and fit for your needs, and pick the best agency that meets your requirements.

If you or a loved one are in need of home care, we're here to help! You can check out our available services and submit a request for care right here on our website. No matter their age, our highest priority is making sure everyone can live comfortably in their own home for as long as possible, with the best care possible. I hope this article helps you find the help you're looking for, don't be afraid to reach out at cs@enlightenmenthomecare.com if you have any questions, concerns, or want to ask about our care!