When choosing a home health care service, its vital to ensure that the provider or agency you pick is a perfect match for you and your loved one.
Home care is quickly becoming an extremely popular alternative to either hospital stays or residential care homes, allowing for a much more independent recovery.
Seeing a huge surge in demand during and following Covid-19, Dubai residents can receive everything from post operative care to newborn care without a prolonged stay in hospital.
Home care also offers huge benefits such as the decreased risk of infection in comparison to hospital, as well as keeping elderly relatives in their own homes and surroundings, many more families are considering home care than ever before.
READ MORE about the benefits of home health care here: https://www.acoup.com/articles/the-benefits-of-home-health-care
In addition, at home care is also being used by those looking for day to day companionship, adult mentors, and to assist those with both physical and learning disabilities.
If you are now looking to bring in a home care service, it can initially be a little overwhelming to try and find a suitable plan for your loved one.
In order to find the right match and caregiver to look after those close to you, there are a few key things you should look for to ensure you are getting the best and safest service possible.
How qualified are they?
If you have seen signs your loved one needs home care, and have decided to get them assistance, it''s important you know they are fully qualified to take on that role.
In Dubai, agencies should be licensed by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), and their staff should have the relevant qualifications and experience.
For example, if you were organizing at home post operative care for a parent, you would want to ensure that the nurse on hand is DHA registered and has experience in the type of procedure and recovery that your loved one is going through.
Or, if you were looking for a companion for an isolated or elderly loved one, the caregiver themselves might not need to be a registered nurse, but you would want to make sure they had other relevant experience in caregiving, as well as first aid and basic life support.
This is where the second point becomes important:
Making a bespoke care plan
Every individual needing home health care is different, and their needs will also vary from person to person.
This is why a good home care agency should go the extra mile to create a personalized and bespoke plan of care for each patient they deal with.
A sign of a good agency is one that takes the time to understand both you and your loved ones needs, listen to your experience and situation, and create a care plan that will benefit you.
Many quality and professional agencies will carry out a home assessment visit during the initial process, to understand the space, the individual, their mobility, and many other factors that will determine what type of care and professional is best.
A personalized care plan worked around the needs of the patient is also much more likely to allow for their health to improve and reach their full potential. This will also allow both the home care staff and your family to prepare efficiently for the home care to begin.
Communication
When creating a very personalized service, it’s key that all parties are involved in the discussions about the right type of care.
It’s also the sign of a professional agency when they are able to listen to the thoughts, feelings, and concerns of you and your loved one, and deliver something based around those specific needs and requirements.
In addition, they should be able to communicate with you in what they can provide and why, the experience and qualifications of their workers, and even down to availability and costs.
It is also essential that there is good communication between the patient, family, and the nurse or caregiver themselves to make sure they are clear and comfortable with one another, as well as to create a regular routine together.
Reputation and reviews
A sign of a good and reliable healthcare recruitment agency can also be what previous or current clients have said about them.
Many will share testimonials of their own personal experiences with the agency, and it’s always worth doing your research. For example, what is the agency’s background, what experience do they have in the sector, and what impression have they made on families.
Once you feel like you have comfortably covered all these stages, if all is well, it’s a good sign that you have chosen a good home health care service.