How to Monitor Home Care for the Elderly

Keeping your elderly loved one at home, rather than in a nursing home, is often a winning choice for everyone involved. Your loved one is comfortable at home around familiar surroundings, which can assist in better health and fewer accidents. You, as caretaker, do not have to worry about the selling of a home or household goods. The costs of care are usually well below that of any type of assisted nursing facility, and care is one-to-one. And monitoring home health care may be even easier than keeping an eye on nursing home care.

Instructions

• 1

  Interview home care companies carefully before hiring one to assist in elder care. Ask questions such as: 1) How long has the company been in the community? 2) How much training is required of the aides? 3) Are there workers available around the clock? 4) How are emergency situations handled? 5) How does the company monitor its' employees? 6) What background checks are performed on individual aides?

• 2

  Review the background and previous work history of an individual aide carefully, if you prefer to hire an individual rather than go to an established company. Questions to ask the aide are: 1) How much experience does he or she have working in this field? 2) Can the aide provide you with any referrals? 3) How would a dispute on the elderly loved one's care be handled? Run a background check on any individuals to verify there is no criminal activity, and speak to the referrals to verify the aide is timely, patient and caring when handling patients.

• 3

  Drop in for unexpected visits at unannounced times when home health care workers are with the elderly loved one. Observe the elderly patient's demeanor around the aide for signs of stress or nervousness, indicating a possible problem with the aide.

• 4

  Look for signs of abuse on the elderly patient, such as bruises, cuts or scrapes. Neglect is also a form of abuse--does the patient look well-fed? Hydrated? Clean and well-rested? Does he seem to be acting as usual, assuming aging health concerns have not impeded usual personality?

• 5

  Stay involved. Call and visit frequently. Check with the home health care company (if that is who you use) for any complaints with a particular aide, if you notice any concerns. Keep a tab on the elderly patient's valuables, such as jewelry, that may be easy to pilfer.

• 6

  Talk to the elderly patient and ask her how she feels about the home care worker(s), if the patient is able to communicate. Assure the patient that you are someone they can discuss any concerns with, or if they wish, they can speak to a friend, neighbor, pastor, or another co-worker about concerns that do arise. Ask neighbors, other family members and friends to frequently check on the elderly patient as well, providing a support network that will be noticed by the home health care
  worker(s).

• 7

  Install a "grammy cam" hidden camera in an area of the house where the home care worker would frequently interact with the elderly patient, such as a living room or bedroom. These cameras have been known to catch various forms of abuse and are relatively inexpensive.