Once you have decided on in-home nursing care for an elderly loved one, there are a few important criteria you need to consider. You want to be certain your loved one is getting the best care possible, both safely and affordably. Doing so can provide peace of mind and may also improve the health outcome of the person receiving care. Use this list as a starting point when narrowing down your options for home care.
Proper Licensing
Medicine is regulated for the safety of all patients, including in-home care patients. Not only does the service need to have the proper licensing, but they need to hire only licensed and trained caregivers. Some licenses to check for include those required by local, state and national level regulations. You can ask to see these licenses while vetting service companies.
Accepted Insurances
The more types of insurance a company accepts, the more likely you can get affordable care for your loved one. Especially for anyone who has retired and may not have top-tier health insurance anymore, broad acceptance of common coverage programs can help relieve the cost of in-home care nursing care.
Operating Hours
As an in-home service, the nursing care you get needs to be 24/7. An emergency can happen at any time so help needs to be available in the same time frame. Waiting is not always an option, so double check that not only are calls received at all hours of the day or night, but also that nurses are available to respond at the home, if necessary.
Holiday Services
In addition to standard 24/7 service, holiday visits and call responses are also important. While no one wants to work on the holidays, just because it’s a festive time of year does not mean no one needs medical help. Make sure the in-home nursing care you choose offers holiday hours and it’s even better if this service comes at no extra charge.
In-home nursing care can lift a huge burden off your shoulders. It can be a great benefit to you or an ill or elderly loved one. Because of the risks involved, there are certain important criteria any home nursing service must meet. When you don’t find these, you know that company should be excluded from your list. Local and national licensing, multiple insurances accepted, 24/7 service and holiday hours are all a must-have when it comes to this kind of care. For more information contact Capital City Nurses at 1-866-807-7307. You can follow them on Google+ for more information.
