Here are some of the most important things you should look for when selecting a live-in care agency for yourself or a loved one.
Deciding which live-in care or home care agency to trust the care of a loved one with can be daunting. There is likely to be plenty of options available to you and it is a big commitment and a huge responsibility to ensure that you are choosing one which will provide the highest level of care for your loved one.
With so many care agencies all proclaiming to offer the best service, it can be hard to tell which one is actually going to be the one you should trust your loved one’s wellbeing to. While you cannot be 100% certain you are making the right choice in care agency, there are some things which you should look for in a live-in care agency which may help to make your decision slightly easier.
CQC rating
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) are responsible for ensuring that all care agencies are operating at a high standard and are meeting all legal requirements. They rate every care home and care agency on a scale similar to the one used by OFSTED to rate schools. You can view CQC reports online which will show you how the care agency has performed during their latest inspection by the commission in a variety of areas. Investigating an agency’s CQC rating is essential with looking for a live-in carer.
Where do they find their carers?
Being a good carer is a vocation and requires certain skills. You should look for a live-in care agency who take care about who they employ as live-in carers need to be able to communicate effectively so a good level of written and spoken English is essential. You also need to ensure that the agency carry out full DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks on all of their employees to ensure that their carers are suitable to work with vulnerable adults.
The agency’s attitude to training
A good live-in care agency will want to ensure that their staff are trained to the highest standards and using the latest techniques. They will want to ensure that they offer their staff the opportunity to increase their skill base at every opportunity so that they can offer the highest level of care. You should look for a care agency which promotes speciality training to their staff and ongoing, regular refresher training to ensure that carers are kept up to date with the latest legislation and care methods.
Can they cater to your specific needs?
Live-in care is incredibly personal and should be tailored to suit your or your loved one’s needs but it can be the perfect solution to elderly care needs. For example, if you are requiring care following a diagnosis of a degenerative disease such as dementia or Alzheimer’s, can the care agency provide your with specially trained carers who have the experience and ability to properly care for someone with this kind of disease. If you are expecting your care needs to increase over time, will the care agency be able to accommodate this or will you need to find alternative care, which could result in distress for your loved one.
You can find out more at the Live-in Care Hub about what to look for a in suitable live-in care agency and what questions you should be asking before you make any final care plans.
