Shirilevita

Archive for October, 2009

if you think you or an older relative need some kind of home care, there are a few different ways you can begin looking for that care. Personal recommendations from friends and acquaintances can be helpful, but they are not enough. Even if you use the same agency your friend did, her worker may not be available, and the agency may send someone else.
A personal recommendation is not a substitute for becoming acquainted first-hand with the agency you deal with by asking questions about its licensing and accreditation and by requesting references. Don’t be shy about asking these questions—a reputable agency does not mind answering them courteously.
Professional referrals can be another good route to quality home care. Referrals from hospital home-care departments, discharge planners, social workers, or doctors are ways of obtaining quality help, if you or an older relative are returning home from a hospital stay.
A great many people, however, find their way to good care through
the telephone directory—both White and Yellow pages. The Nation-al HomeCaring Council suggests checking the phone book for such
listings as:
• Information and Referral Service (I&R)
• state, county, or city agency on aging
• family service agencies (such as Catholic Charities, Jewish Family Services)
• American Red Cross, United Way, or other voluntary agency
• your local librarian
• Hot Line, Action Line, HELP, or CONTACT
Or, you can look in the Yellow Pages under listings for specific services, such as Meals on Wheels, Visiting Nurses Associations, Homemaker-Home Health Aide Services, etc. The National Home- Caring Council provides a state-by-state list of its accredited homemaker/home health aide services. The National League of Nursing also has a list of its own accredited agencies. (You will find addresses for both at the end of this chapter.) Remember that initiating contact with any of the above-mentioned organizations or their counterparts can help bring you into the full network of home care services. So don’t hesitate to make the initial contact and, if that doesn’t bring results, keep trying.