A new local care service in London from leading home care provider, The Good Care Group
What is a home care agency?
A home care agency employs home carers and arranges for them to visit clients to provide a range of care services, from help with cooking and light housework to medication management and getting dressed and undressed. They can take the hassle out of finding and managing reliable home carers. This makes them ideal for people with no family living nearby or those who want the reassurance that their care will run seamlessly.
A home care agency takes complete responsibility for managing home care services, including employing, training, and supervising carers to ensure you consistently get the highest standards of care available.
They are also fully regulated and independently assessed to help inform your decision when choosing home care services.
A step-by-step guide to choosing a home care agency
1. Decide what type of home care you need
The first step to choosing a home care agency is to decide what type and level of home care you need. Whether that’s full-time live-in care, hourly visits a few times per week, or complex care to help you manage challenging health conditions like dementia, it’s important to start by working out what home care would be best for you as this may rule out certain agencies.
2. List what activities you need support with
The next step is to list all the day-to-day activities you feel you need support with. This could include things like:
- Personal care, like bathing and dressing
- Toileting
- Help with light housework
- Companionship
- Preparing meals
- Medication management
- Medical interventions like stoma care
When listing the tasks, think about how many times per day or week you need help with each task.
3. Research local home care agencies
Once you have a clear idea of the type of care you need and the activities you require assistance with, you can start researching the home care agencies that meet your needs.
Your local authority social care team can recommend local providers, but you can also search the internet for local home care agencies or use sites like Homecare to find recommended providers.
4. Check the ratings of home care agencies
All UK home care agencies are independently regulated and assessed, allowing you to check the ratings of home care agencies you are considering to ensure they can offer the safe, high-quality home care you require.
There are different regulators in England, Wales, and Scotland, so you should check the appropriate regulator depending on where you live:
- In England, you need to check the Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- In Scotland, the regulator is the Care Inspectorate
- In Wales, the regulator is the Care Inspectorate Wales
5. Contact suitable home care agencies
Finally, you should contact local home care agencies that meet your needs and have a good reputation to learn more about them. It’s a good idea to arrange a meeting if possible, as talking to someone face-to-face and meeting those who may potentially be caring for you can give you a better insight into the care you’ll receive.
Questions you should ask potential home care agencies
To make sure your shortlisted home care agencies can provide reliable care that is tailored to your needs, you need to get in touch with them and ask about:
- The agency itself including information about how long they have been running. and where they are able to provide care.
- How the home care agency runs, including how often they can provide visits, what happens if your usual carer is ill or on holiday, and how they manage an emergency.
- The carers the agency employs, including how they are recruited, what qualifications and experience they have, and what the procedures are for checking their references and background.
- Information about the charges and any terms and conditions you need to be aware of, like how often payments are taken or how to terminate care if it’s no longer required.
- How they’ll cater to your specific needs and ensure you get a carer who matches both your needs and your personality.
Questions you can expect from a home care agency
Although it’s important you ask any potential home care agencies questions about the care they provide, it’s equally important that they actively take an interest in your care needs.
A reputable and reliable home care agency will want to take the opportunity to get to know you to make sure they can offer the support you need. Questions they may ask you may include:
- What your care needs are, including details of your medical conditions and any medications you take?
- What is your existing routine?
- What are your likes and dislikes?
- If you have any dietary requirements?
- Whether you have family and friends living close by, and how involved they are in your current care?
- Are there things you are particularly concerned about home care?
Why Cherished Home Care could be the right home care agency for you?
At Cherished Home Care, we are dedicated to providing compassionate home carers who will support you to live independently in the home you love. Our carers all hold themselves to our high standards, ensuring as a home care agency we can provide consistent and reliable care no matter what your needs.
In addition, our home carers undergo a comprehensive induction with us before they start providing home care, regardless of their previous experience. Run by industry experts and condition specialists, our induction programme ensures that all of our home carers have the skills, techniques and knowledge to support clients to the highest of standards.
In addition, we have the expertise, knowledge and experience of ‘Outstanding’ care provider, The Good Care Group, who work closely with our team to provide high-quality care, support and carer training.
Home care designed for you
At Cherished Home Care, we are all about choice. Whether you are looking for live-in home care support for a complex condition, respite home care on a temporary basis or companionship home care for elderly relatives, we can find the right solution for you through our bespoke home care packages.
