It may seem a daunting task to interview home care agencies and select one that fits your needs best. But it is important to make sure you understand how your home care agency works. To facilitate this process, we provide below a list of example questions you can ask. These questions will help determine if you want to work with a specific home care agency. 

• Service
  • What types of services do you provide?
  • Are there any services you don’t provide?
  • Do you have a minimum number of hours required per visit?
• Care plan
  • How do you customize a care plan for clients?
  • How frequently is the care plan monitored and modified? 
  • How do you handle sudden changes in the care plan? 
• Communication
  • How do you typically communicate with clients and family members? 
  • Do you have a computer or phone application to facilitate communication?
  • Do you respond to phone calls during evenings and weekends?
  • How do you handle the complaints from clients?
  • Do you have a policy in place to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to protect client health information?
• Staff
  • Have your caregivers received formal training? Are they certified? 
  • Do they receive additional training on a regular basis? 
  • Do you do background checks? 
  • What is unique about your background check?
  • Are your staff insured? 
  • Are caregivers your employees or independent contractors?
  • How do you ensure someone is here to help if my caregiver is not available for some reason?
• Cost
  • How much do you charge per hour?
  • Are hourly rates different for nights, weekends, and holidays?
  • Do you have discounts?
  • Do you charge a fee if my caregiver’s automobile is used for transportation?
  • Whose car insurance should be used when there is an accident if my caregiver’s car is used or if my car is used?
  • How frequently do you invoice clients? 
  • Do you accept long-term care insurance? Do you bill directly to insurance? 
  • Do you accept credit cards or direct bank transfers? 
  • Do you need a deposit for services?

During the interview process, remember also to get a sense of how they behave. Are they eager to sell you more services? Or do they really care about you and give you recommendations for your benefits? Be alert. Once you select a home care agency, make sure you clarify your expectations before services start.