Finding the right home care services in Hereford for you or your loved one can be challenging and stressful. The great thing is that there are a number of domiciliary care agencies in Hereford, and armed with the right knowledge, you will be able to identify and select the best provider for your needs. Here we will lay out some of the key points to consider when deciding on a Home Care Service Provider.
Have a Clear Understanding Of Your Needs
Understanding exactly what the needs of the person requiring care are is vital to ensuring you find the right In-Home Care services provider. This is important because you will need to be able to articulate the needs to any service provider that you approach, be they personal care, help around the house, or more complex needs. These are critical in helping the service provider develop a client-centered care plan for your loved one.
Do Your Planning & Research
Finding a good home care provider, depending on the location, can often be a challenge. Often your loved one is relying on you to make the best decision on their behalf – plan ahead – do your research – speak to as many service providers as possible. Use websites like the CQC website – www.cqc.org.uk – where you can get a lot of information about every home care service provider in Hereford or your particular area. You can also reach out to Social Works In Hereford. Don’t forget you can also ask your GP / local pharmacist – all of whom will be great sources of information on In-Home Care services.
Involve Your Loved One
Depending on the health status of your loved one – this may not always be possible. But wherever you can, always get your loved one involved – this is really critical as they are the one receiving the care. Good home care service providers will always default to this when they come in to do their initial assessment – you can also use this as a yardstick to measure the likelihood of the service provider delivering care that is tailored to the needs of your loved one.
Understand Their Recruitment And Training Structure
This is as important as it is overlooked – find out how the service provider recruits their staff, how they check references – at what point are staff allowed out in the field, before or after all checks have been made? What sort of training do they provide for their staff (moving and handling, medication administration etc.)? Is there an active, ongoing and continuous development culture around training staff? How are the staff supervised and evaluated?
A good carer is highly trained and motivated and loves their job because they feel they are making a difference in the lives they care for. Training and development are key to keeping good carers motivated and skilled to deliver great care, so it’s important you understand your potential domiciliary care service providers attitude and commitment to proper recruitment and training.
Speak With The Care Providers
Identify 3-4 service providers rated “Good” or above on the CQC website and arrange to speak with the Registered Manager for the service . Start with the service manager but make sure you ask to speak to a carer if possible, as you will get a better feel for the business from them.
Use the following questions as a guide :
- How long have they been in the service?
- How do they evaluate the client’s health care needs?
- How do they recruit and train their staff members?
- Do they assign a supervisor to ensure they provide quality care to their clients?
- What can you expect from their staff?
- How do they handle emergencies? Do they have a plan in case of emergencies?
Also:
- Do they have strict systems in place to check the quality of the service given on a regular basis?
- Do they contact the customer early on to ensure that the care is adequate?
- Are they willing to engage with and collaborate with your physician or other health care professionals?
- Do they keep track of significant events and measure the results for the client?
- Do they check in with support employees on a frequent basis to ensure the client’s well-being?
- Do they do unscheduled and surprise inspections on their employees?
- How frequently do care plans get reviewed and updated?
In Summary – finding a good In Home Care Service Provider in Hereford needs careful thought and planning. There are a lot of resources out there, however it can be overwhelming to pull them all together. If you would like to speak to Joghide Home Care in Hereford, please call us on 07726 402 204 or chat to us using the live chat button.
Useful Links
- Care Quality Commission: CQC.org.uk
- Homecare: homecare.co.uk
- Hereford County Council: herefordshire.gov.uk/social-care-support/contact-adult-social-care
