Who wants to be in a nursing home or assisted living facility? My dad certainly didn’t.
But I couldn’t quite figure out how to manage and afford the care that he would need at home. At the time, I couldn’t quit my job to provide that care myself. Maybe I should have. But that’s another story.
When searching online, it is hard to find an unbiased source. It turns out that it may have been more possible than I imagined to find home health care with the community resources already around me. Drumroll, please . . . this is the one unexpected source of local homecare referrals, even in these crazy times.
Call your local hospital and nursing home social workers.
Ask them for homecare referrals—even if your senior is not in the facility currently. Sounds simple, right? But it’s a gem.
Social workers can provide the following facilities:
- A referral for home health services like physical therapy (covered by Medicare for a limited time.)
- A referral for a homemaker evaluation. The agency will send someone to your senior’s home to discuss services that are needed. After an authorized agency makes their free evaluation, your state may provide caregiving services at no cost.
- Their “preferred provider” list of caregivers (which you would pay for out-of-pocket.)
After narrowing your list, use Medicare’s checklist to interview each agency.
Their list includes questions like:
- Do you have staff available at night and on weekends for emergencies?
- Can you explain what my insurance will cover and what I must pay out-of-pocket?
- Do you do background checks on all staff?
Also ask specifically about the sanitation and protection protocols they use during COVID-19.
Blessings as you help you senior well in these challenging times.
