By: James Watson

          Homecare’s goal is to maintain one’s independence, peace of mind, health and wellness by providing the appropriate in-home assistance and companionship with well-trained and compassionate caregivers. The term ‘homecare’ itself is a bit of an umbrella term too, implying the delivery of several different types of service. Homecare services are commonly distinguished between non-medical homecare and medical or nursing homecare. Non-medical homecare can encompass a broad range of services from personal support functions (transfers, assistance with bathing, incontinence care), light housekeeping (changing linens, laundry, vacuuming), errands and transportation (grocery shopping and meal preparation, handling dry cleaning), to plain and simple companionship (attending theatre and movie events, playing a game of chess, reading the newspaper aloud). Medical homecare includes services that government legislation deems medical in nature and that may only be performed by a medical professional such as a registered nurse (RN). Non-medical homecare is typically much less expensive than medical homecare.

          It is very important to understand how a service provider defines its notion of homecare and therefore what type of services it can offer you. For example, the non-medical homecare offered by the Ontario government – administered through the Community Care Access Centres (CCAC) – only provides the basic personal-support functions an individual requires; it is not within their mandate to provide any extra services that can further assist a person in staying at home. In addition, you may be limited by the number of service hours you can receive. Private homecare providers, by contrast, are in a position to provide the full range of services. Not all of them do. It is important to know exactly the type of services you will receive from any service provider. When you are doing your research about potential providers, ask to see a list of services. When you are in the final stages of negotiating a care plan with a chosen provider, demand to receive a written agreement of the list of services you can except to receive. If the care you begin to receive is less than what you were promised or below your expected standards, speak up! You should expect to receive peace of mind from homecare.

          A service provider may specialize in certain care provisions too. For example, Premier Homecare Services specializes in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care by specifically training and educating its employees, its caregivers. Other types of care provisions include Overnight, Live-In and 24 Care (monitoring for wandering, preparing breakfast in the morning), Respite Care (regularly scheduled visits to relieve the primary family caregiver), Palliative Care, and post-surgery assistance in the home. Ask about the availability of these. Your needs may not require them now, but if that changes in the future you will wish to have these options available for you.

          Once you have chosen a service provider, you must then begin the process of planning the service you will receive. If the situation is an emergency and care is required immediately, you should be able to reach a provider 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and then expect to have a caregiver arrive before that day is out or by the very next day at the latest. If the situation is not so urgent, you may take some more time to ensure that you will receive the care that best matches your needs. Ask the provider if they will do an in-home assessment; somebody should be available to come see you in person. The purpose of an in-home assessment is to help you and the provider identify your needs and your wants, to structure a care plan that satisfies everyone and to gauge personalities and preferences so that the best possible caregiver may be matched to the assignment. Keep in mind that to “gauge personalities” does not mean that you are being judged, by any means! They only wish to find the best person for the job.

          One very important thing to do during the assessment: Ask, ask, ASK questions! The person doing the assessment should be able to ease any reservations you might have by answering your questions professionally, knowledgeably and calmly. I have published another blog aricle this week to give you a good idea of the questions you might ask – click here. When all of your qualms are settled you can finalize the details of a Care Agreement or Terms of Service Agreement. Make sure it is clear that all the services you wish to receive are outlined and agreed upon. If everything is in order, then let the service begin.

          Once you have been receiving care for awhile, reassess the whole situation and determine whether you are completely satisfied. Is the provider over-delivering on its promises? Are they maintaining open lines of communication with you and your family, updating you on any changes or challenges regarding the care being provided? Are they receptive to your changing needs and wants? Do they appear available in the event of an emergency? These are all questions you should ask during your initial assessment and then be prepared to ask them again after some time. Take charge if everything is not up to par. Demand positive change and if it does not happen, consider a change. You should NOT have to settle on the standard of care for yourself or a loved one.

          Homecare should be a pleasant experience from the “get-go”, onwards. It is meant to ease your stress and deliver peace of mind. It liberates and empowers a family by ensuring that their loved ones are secure while attaining the most out of life. Approach it intelligently and you can be guaranteed to get the most out of it.

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