Questions for a home care agency
Fourteen questions, ordered by how much the answer tends to matter.
Use it when: You are about to phone, or have a quote in front of you.
About the caregiver
- Will the same caregiver come every time, named in the agreement?
- Who covers when they are ill, and will I meet that person first?
- What training do they have for my parent's condition?
- What languages, and can you guarantee that on every shift?
- Can I meet them before the first paid visit?
About the money
- What is the minimum visit length?
- Evening, weekend and statutory holiday rates?
- Is travel or mileage billed?
- Cancellation window, and what is charged inside it?
- Assessment or registration fee?
- How and when am I invoiced, and are hours itemised?
When things go wrong
- What happens if a caregiver does not arrive?
- Who do I call at 9pm on a Saturday — a person or a service?
- How do you handle a complaint? Give me an example.The most informative question on the list. An agency with a real example told plainly is a different organisation from one that has never had a complaint.