Choosing the Right Caregiver


At Senior Homecare by Angels, we know that it isn’t easy to make the decision to invite a caregiver into your home to provide homecare for loved ones who can no longer be safely left alone.

Once you’ve decided that home care is the best option for your loved one then the next challenge is figuring out what you should look for in selecting a caregiver.

We’ve put together a list of important considerations when choosing the right caregiver to help you along:

Has the Caregiver had a personalized background screening?

Our personalized caregiver background screening system is designed to maximize your peace of mind.  However, we place most emphasis on the intangible traits in a caregiver, which will mean so much in your day today experience in working with them.  These traits include: a caring loving personality, a strong desire to help people and a family experience of caring for a loved one.

Is the Caregiver experienced?

We will only refer a caregiver to you who has the necessary experience to fulfill your individual needs.

Common traits of our caregivers include prior experience in home caregiving, possible experience with volunteer organizations and/or affiliations with religious organizations. Most importantly, our caregivers provide references to us from sources we can trust (other agencies, nursing homes, religious organizations, charities, hospices, assisted living communities etc.). It is most important to us to put your needs first! We will only refer a caregiver to you who has the necessary experience to fulfill your individual needs.

Will the same Caregiver be visiting?

Some agencies continually send new, unfamiliar staff to care for clients, which can create an uncomfortable situation. We strive to maintain “continuity of care” (we keep the same caregiver you select with you as long as possible).

Will the Caregiver work with your loved one’s lifestyle?

Senior Homecare by Angels will not dictate to you what your schedule is to be (i.e. what time to get up, when to bathe, meals, schedules etc.),

We also do not require you to adjust your schedule to accommodate the needs of our staff.  You are the boss.  It is our job to adjust to your schedule and to see to it that you remain comfortable in your own home.

Has a compatibility process been completed to ensure proper fit?

At Senior Homecare By Angels we take the time to ensure we match a caregiver that not only has the skills to meet your needs but has the right personality as well. Over that past ten years we have developed a dedicated and loyal base of caregivers whom we know really well, so it makes matching the right caregiver and client relatively easy.

We really try to focus on things that both the client and caregiver can bond over, such as similar likes, hobbies and backgrounds.

Once choose a caregiver whom we feel is the best match we then set up another meeting with our client and their family so they can meet our caregiver and make the final choice.

Does the homecare provider build relationships with the entire family?

Our whole service model and core values are built on building relationships. We take the time to get to know our clients and their families, during our initial assessment, and the follow up caregiver introduction through to the many satisfaction calls we make on a regular basis to ensure the client’s and family’s satisfaction with our service.

Who is ultimately in charge of the decision-making?

At Senior Homecare by Angels we stress that our clients are in charge. We are not here to take away their independence, we are here to enhance and ensure they can remain independent.

We will do as much or as little as is requested. What this means is that we won’t take over a task completely unless you ask us to. For example, we can make lunch or, if preferred, we can assist our client in making lunch.

How easy is it to reach your homecare provider?

If you call a home care agency in the evening or on weekends, nothing is more frustrating than reaching an answering machine and waiting long periods of time for a return call. It’s even worse when the person who answers the phone is in a call center on the other side of the country and doesn’t know you or your family.

We are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you are asked to leave a voicemail when you call us, you can rest assured that we’ll call back within fifteen minutes and it will be someone from our local office who is familiar with you and your family. We’re committed to serving your needs in the way that’s most convenient for you!

Can the homecare provider begin offering support immediately?

We know that many times when a potential client calls us that they are in a crisis situation. For that reason we can respond as quickly as needed. We can conduct an initial meeting the same day we are called and in many situations we have been able to initiate service on that same day.

We can start service on a Weekend, a Holiday or in the evening. We are here to serve you and your family.

Is the home care affordable while offering high quality service?

Our home care philosophy is to never compromise on providing high quality services to your family. Our system allows you to afford a top quality caregiver. At Senior Homecare By Angels, we keep our overhead low to avoid passing high costs to you.

In addition, we believe that our caregivers should be well paid and treated with respect. For this reason, we can attract and maintain the best quality caregivers.

We also offer some specific programs that can save costs for some clients.