In Home Care Questions to ask when you need a healthcare agency

What type of care do I need?

You may need help for a few weeks after a hospital stay…or you may need more long-term care. Most healthcare agencies offer:

• Home Health Care provides nurses, home health aides, physical therapists and other professionals who visit you in your home.
• Palliative Care Professionals help you to reduce or eliminate pain and other symptoms, such as nausea, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, during treatment and recovery from serious illness and surgery.
• Hospice Care is offered to patients and loved ones to make their final months, or weeks, comfortable and peaceful.
• Caregiver Services help you with tasks and chores such as cooking, getting dressed, taking medications, shopping and taking baths or showers safely.

Will insurance cover these services?
Medicare, Medi-Cal and private insurance cover some or all of the care you need. Insurance companies usually require a prescription from your doctor to pay for your care. We can help you find answers to all of your questions about insurance and other payment options.

Is someone available to help me 24 hours a day?
You might need medical and non-medical services overnight or on weekends. Make sure the agency you select has 24/7 staffing for the services you need most.
Can I receive agency services if I’m in a hospital, a nursing home or an assisted living facility?
If you are in the hospital, a nursing home or an assisted living facility for a short-term or long-term period, you will feel more comfortable with familiar faces assisting you. Be sure to choose a healthcare agency that comes to you, wherever you are.

Who can recommend an agency to me?
Ask your doctor or a hospital social worker for names of agencies they trust. You should also talk to friends who have used a healthcare agency for home health care, palliative care, hospice or caregiver services…for themselves or a spouse, parent or other loved one.

Is the agency licensed and accredited?
Healthcare agencies are accredited and licensed by a variety of state and federal organizations. These include Medicare, and CAHSAH (California Association for Health Services at Home). Ask the agency representative about their current status with these and other organizations or—better yet—call them directly to confirm.

Does the agency run background checks on employees?
You need to place full trust in the people who enter your home to help you. When researching agencies, ask about their policies for criminal background checks and other methods they use to screen their employees.

Does the agency have a good reputation?
If you cannot get a recommendation from your doctor or a hospital social worker, look for agencies that have earned special designations. One example is the Home Care Elite Agency in the United States award.

Is the agency privately owned or a franchise of a big company?
Many medical professionals start private healthcare agencies because they understand the business of healthcare and they love helping people. Other times, agencies are part of a large multi-state company, overseen by managers that come and go at each location.

If you want a “family feel” from your healthcare provider, choose a smaller, privately owned health care agency like Assisted. Assisted has employees who have remained for many years, offering a more stable and experienced care team. At Assisted, we take care of the members of your family like they were members of our family.

If I have a disability [physical, hearing, sight, and/or speech] or Limited English Proficiency (LEP), will the Agency be able to ensure that effective communication is established?

You have a Right to have your communication needs met. Assisted will ensure that effective communication is facilitated when barriers exist due to language skills [non-English speaking or Limited English Proficiency (LEP)], education, clinical condition, or disability [physical, hearing, vision, speech] through provision of communication assistance and/or auxiliary aids at no cost to you. Access to auxiliary aids and services are initiated by your request or that of your field clinician through the Agency local Branch Manager.