Approximately one in four Canadians (nearly 10 million people!) are taking care of a family member with either a long-term health condition, a physical or mental disability, or problems related to ageing (Stats Canada). Family caregivers play a critical role in society. Their self-sacrifice takes a huge burden off our health care system. Most importantly, it allows the care recipient to remain at home and maintain a positive quality of life. But at what cost?

Being a Family Caregiver

If this is currently you, has been you, or someone you know; you know the stress and potential burnout of being a family caregiver. I have been there myself when my 93-year-old Grandmother fell ill, and my father and aunt became her primary caregivers. At the time, my family knew very little, if anything, about the home care industry and began to research care options. Evidently, we did not choose well because my Grandmother refused every caregiver that we sent her way. Leaving my family to become the primary caregivers right up until she was forced out of her home into a nursing home (it was actually through this experience that led me to start my own home care agency – a story for another time).

Having Knowledge of What Help is Out There

Knowing what I know now, I could have supported my family throughout this journey allowing them the option to be there as family first and caregivers second (if at all). This post is for all those families out there, like mine, who have been thrown into the role of a family caregiver overnight with little to no knowledge of the industry and what help is out there.

First and foremost, you are not alone! Many thousands of families are going through exactly what you are going through right now.  However, there are also many great resources available for you including private home care agencies, government programs, community support groups, and most of all, outstanding caregivers and nurses (our heroes) who are there to help you in your time of need.

For this post, I will focus on just one of the many support options out there, hiring a private home care agency, as this is my area of expertise and covers a wide variety of care needs.

Hiring Home Care

Many people may not realize that there are hundreds of home care agencies out there, ranging from your local “mom and pop” shops to internationally-run franchise systems. To help you determine what agency is the best fit for you and your family, I have provided a list of essential questions to ask when doing your due diligence. Additionally, I have shared some commentary around why these questions are imperative and what you should be listening for in their answers. 

1. Are you locally owned and operated?

Knowing about the agency, where they are based and who operates them will tell you a lot about the service that you will receive.  Larger organizations, such as many franchised home care agencies. They service offerings and a customer experience may vary from community to community, depending on the local owner/operator. Be sure you get to know who operates the agency in your community.

2. Who oversees the care being delivered?

The quality of care you receive will be combination of the caregivers’ abilities, their training, and the agencies management team. For example, agencies that are led by Nurses will be more likely to provide a holistic care plan and better pick up on trends and health issues before they cause any major concerns for you or your loved ones.

3. What services do you offer?

It is likely that as your loved one ages their care needs will increase. Finding an agency that can grow with you as your needs increase can provide a lot of peace of mind and less disruption in your life and that of your family under care. Also, many home care agencies can offer more than just caregiving services. This extra ability can play a significant role in keeping your loved one happy and healthy at home. It also reduces the need to have various other service companies coming into your home (e.g. house cleaning, transport, food delivery, meal preparation, etc…).

4. What training do you provide your caregivers?

Caregivers come from all over the world and have had various levels of training that directly impact the quality of care that you will receive. A few additional questions you can ask include: Does the agency provide ongoing training to their caregivers? What type of training programs do they offer? Do they provide on-the-job training? The best agencies constantly invest in their people to keep them current for their role. From advanced wound care to working with dementia, modern healthcare is ever-changing and constantly evolving.

5. What is your interview and screening process for caregivers? 

You are trusting your loved ones’ lives with a stranger, so it is imperative that the agency ONLY sends thoroughly screened, vetted, and trained caregivers to your home. Making sure to dig deep into their hiring practices by asking these types of questions: Does the agency do in-person interviews, or are they all virtual? Do they conduct criminal record and health checks? Do they contact references?

6. How do you ensure care is being delivered when they say it is?

Most companies should have a check-in and check-out system to ensure the caregivers have arrived and left as agreed upon. Make sure to ask if they have a system, and what their protocols are if a caregiver is a no show or is going to be late for any reason. Ask if they also have a way for you to remotely help with planning care and appointments and to review care plans with you no matter where you live.

7. What differentiates you form the competition?

I love asking this question to any company I plan to hire because it often catches people off guard. This exposes how well their employees know their business, how much training they have been provided, and how passionate they are about their company. 

Nothing Beats the Personal Experience of a Trusted Health Care Professional

Having said all this, no questions can beat the personal experience of a trusted friend or health care professional. In addition to shopping around and getting answers to these questions I have shared. You should also reach out to fellow family caregivers, your family doctor, community health workers, or any of the amazing hospital workers and ask them who they would recommend. Many health professionals will provide you with a shortlist of agencies which they have worked with in the past and whom they trust. No matter what option you choose, I highly recommend connecting with your local health authority to learn what options are available to you, as this can vary drastically based on your care needs and financial situation.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me anytime by sending me an email at danny.birch@herohomecare.ca.

About the Author

Danny Birch is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Hero Home Care. Hero Home Care is a privately owned and operated home care provider based in West Vancouver, British Columbia. Over the past 12 years Danny and his team have provided over 1,000,000 hours of care to families in need throughout Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. To learn more about Hero Home Care you can visit www.HeroHomeCare.ca or give them a call at 1-888-988-9913.

“We would like to thank Danny Birch, for doing this very informative guest blog for us. We appreciate Danny’s sharing his touching story about his grandmother and his journey to creating Hero Home Care, where Danny is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO. Thank you, Danny!”