FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JANUARY 17, 2019 • WELLNESS • THE QUEENS COURIER 43
When your loved one needs help at home!
When the responsibility falls on you to
choose a caregiver for your loved one,
you should not have to fear the process…
although it does require research and
legwork. When you make an inquiry, it is
important to know what to look for, because
there is a lot to consider. Here are some tips
to guide you through the process to help
alleviate some of the stress.
First, clearly define what kind of
care your loved one will need. Are they
relatively independent but would need
some supportive services such as meal
prep, shopping, light housekeeping,
safety oversight, medication
reminder, transportation
and emotional support and
companionship? Do they
need help with mobility and
personal hygiene like bathing
and grooming? Or they may
even need higher level skilled
care by a licensed nurse or
therapist for tasks including
injection, infusion, wound care,
or physical therapy?
Second, decide your ideal
approach to find a reliable
person with the right skills
to look after your loved one.
There are two basic options,
hire an independent caregiver or enlist the
services of a homecare agency.
One of the advantages for hiring a
private caregiver is the cost. In general,
the hourly rate for a private caregiver
could be 20-30% lower than one through
a homecare agency. However, there are
quite some things to consider during the
hiring process:
• Do they have relevant training and
experience?
• Do they have certification such as Home
Health Aide (HHA), Personal Care Aide (PCA)
or Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)?
• Do they have CPR and first aid training
and certification?
• Do they have valid reference to provide?
• Are you able to get their background
check?
• If they are absent, do you have a backup
caregiver option?
• Do you pay them through payroll services
company or cash?
If the hiring process becomes overwhelming
for you, or you were occupied by your loved
one as a primary caregiver, you could also
turn to a homecare agency who can do all
the above work for you. Just like hiring a
private caregiver, you also want to shop
around for agencies. You might want to ask
your friends, neighbors, churches, doctors
for referrals. You can check their Google
reviews. And here are some questions you
might want to check when you call or meet
the agencies:
• Do they seem professional and
compassionate when taking your call?
• What’s their screening and hiring process?
Do they conduct complete background check,
drug screen, competency test, credential
validation?
• Do they have a registered nurse (RN) to
assess your loved one, build a personalized
care plan, and oversee the case throughout
the time?
• Are they fully insured and bonded?
• What’s their operation
hours? Do they have someone
on call for after hours and
holidays in case you need to
talk to them?
• How do they track
attendance? What do they do
if a caregiver doesn’t show up?
• Are their caregivers
employees or contractors?
• Do they have caregivers
with training for a particular
condition, specific language
skills, similar interests, to make
sure they are compatible with
your loved one?
“Whether to go with a
private aide or homecare agency, hiring a
caregiver for a loved one is a very personal
decision. If you can get a caregiver from a
reliable source such as a family member
or friend, you can save a lot of research
effort. However, the process of screening
and hiring a caregiver on your own, may
outweigh the cost savings”.
– Xilin Zhang, Home Care Agency Owner
BrightStar Care is proud to be recognized as a home care provider
of choice and a “Leader in Excellence”.
• Federal and State background check
and drug screening of all caregivers
• Guaranteed Compatibility®
• Registered Nurse (RN) oversight of all
clientele
• 24/7 on call
• Light housekeeping, meal prep, laundry
• Transportation to appointments,
activities, and shopping
• Medication reminders and education,
home safety oversight
• Companion and emotional support
®
BrightStar Care of Fresh Meadows | 183-16 Horace Harding Expy., Suite 3B, Fresh Meadows, NY 11365
P: 718.886.1378 | E: freshmeadows@brightstarcare.com | W: brightstarcare.com/fresh-meadows
Free Consultation Available
Now hiring HHA, CNA, PCA, LPN, RN, and Nursing Students.
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