5 Qualities to Look For in Any Home Care Agency

We recently wrote about the research we conducted that identified the higher standard of home care that families are seeking when they have a loved one in need. However, families looking for quality care also find themselves faced with a lack of clinical quality standards within the private duty in-home care sector. That's why we've pulled together some key qualities that families should look for to identify a qualified care option. In addition to a lack of clinical quality standards, a general lack of knowledge of the industry can make it difficult to find a care solution that makes sense. Here are 5 qualities families should look for in any home care agency they may be considering:

1. Availability. Operates on a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week basis as many home care providers only operate during “regular business hours.”
2. Registered Nurse oversight. Provides a comprehensive health and wellness evaluation conducted by a Registered Nurse with the expertise to craft a personalized plan of care around a loved one’s unique interests, personal, and healthcare needs.
3. Trusted. Employs and oversees experienced, screened, compassionate, and trained nurses and caregivers.
4. Core Values. Stands by its core values and ensures that the client will get the care they need and deserve.
5. Accreditation. Committed to care standards that are validated through a major third-party healthcare standards accrediting body, like The Joint Commission.

Sharon Roth Maguire, MS, RN, GNP-BC, Chief Clinical Quality Officer for BrightStar Care®, noted that families should closely examine clinical quality when choosing an in-home care provider.“Our Clinical Quality standards give families tremendous peace of mind that their loved ones are receiving the best of care from qualified professionals,” Roth Maguire said. “When we talk about ‘A Higher Standard of Care,’ we deliver on that message with our unique best practices such as the active involvement of our RN Director of Nursing in every client’s care, the oversight of our direct care team by our RN who does face-to-face in-home supervisory visits, competency testing of select caregiver skills, as well as person-centered client reassessments and plans of care designed to optimize client’s health and wellbeing.” For more information about BrightStar Care, contact our team 24/7.