When it comes to our loved ones, we want the very best care for them we can provide. This means you do not hire the first elder care service you find or interview with. It’s important to vet your options and find the service that best suits your family’s needs. Making sure you ask the following questions when hiring an elder care service in Aurora, Colorado, can help ensure you choose the right company.
1.) What is the experience like?
This may be one of the most important questions to ask a potential elder care service. It’s important an elder care service is fully transparent with you and your loved ones about the type of experience they provide. If there are specific activities or chores your loved one needs help with make sure to inquire directly about those services. For example, if your loved one needs help with driving or running errands make sure you ask about transportation. Be sure to directly ask about the services the company provides and then determine if they align with your needs.
2.) What trainings and certifications does your staff have?
When you are paying for elder care you want to make sure you are paying trained professionals. Additionally, you will want to make sure the entire staff has gone through the proper certifications and trainings before hiring a service. If you go with an elder care service that does not highly value proper training, you may end up with an unqualified individual caring for your loved one. You want to make sure you have peace of mind with whoever is taking care of your family, and requesting proof of training and the proper certifications guarantees your family isn’t left in the lurch.
3.) Is there flexibility in the schedule?
A major benefit of choosing the right elder care service in Aurora is the flexibility in scheduling. You will want to hire a service that understands life does not run on a schedule and are willing to be flexible with their hours. Sometimes emergencies happen at inconvenient times, and the last thing you want is to be scrambling to find help during a high-stress situation. Finding an elder care service that offers overtime hours as well as a fully trained staff will help alleviate a lot of stress. Services with a full and trained staff are better equipped to help your loved ones on short notice without a lapse in care.
4.) Can you provide any references?
Asking for references definitely has not gone out of style. Any reputable elder care company should be able to provide you with at least three recent references. The only way to really know how a service performs is to gather reviews and feedback. Elder care services expect you to ask for references and even welcome it. If you find an elder care service that either is not willing to or cannot provide you with any positive references then it probably is not the right service for you.
5.) What are the costs?
Elder care services can be expensive, especially depending on the level of care that is required. It’s important to be up front about your budget expectations and ask right away what the typical costs of certain elder care service will be.