3 Things To Ask About When Interviewing In-Home Care Providers For Your Elderly Parent

Are you helping your elderly parent hire an in-home care provider to help them get through each day? Here are three important things to ask about when interviewing prospective service providers:

Food Management

It's a good idea to find out whether food preparation for your parent is included in the services potential care providers offer. This will help you determine what kind of arrangements you would need to make for your parent throughout the week, and whether the work you will be expected to put in is something you can commit to.

For example, while a service provider may prep two meals a day, they may require that you do all the menu planning, shopping, and breakfast prep or dinner prep every day. However, there are just as many service providers out there who are willing to take care of all food management – the trick is to identify them at your consultations by asking for meal policies in writing so you can compare them side-by-side.

Backup Support

Before hiring an in-home care provider, it is crucial to find out what type of backup support would be used if any. What happens if the care provider gets ill and can't go to your parent's house to perform their duties? Will they send a backup provider or will you have to scramble to find a caretaker for the day? How are holidays handled?

Make a list of questions that you have about emergencies, sick days, holidays, and other special circumstances that each prospective care provider can answer during your consultations. You can use the answers to determine which service provider is likely to provide your parent with the most reliable and convenient service year-round.

Progress Reporting

Naturally, you'll want to keep tabs on how things are going with your parent on a day-to-day basis, especially if you can only personally check in with them a couple of times a week. So, make sure that the in-home care provider you decide to hire is willing to furnish you with daily progress reports by sending you an email or giving you a call each evening before they end their shift. They should also be willing to sit down with you for a one-on-one meeting in person once a month so you can discuss changes, address concerns, and make adjustments when necessary.

Making these considerations while interviewing prospective in-home care providers should help ensure that you end up hiring someone that meets your parent's needs and expectations as time goes on. For more information, contact local professionals like Neighbors Home Care Services.