Live Free Home Health Care, LLC. - Bristol, New Hampshire

How to Choose the Right Agency

Choosing the Right Agency

You need to find a home care agency. With a variety of home healthcare options available, how will you know which one is right for you? Where do you begin?

Here is some basic information about the different types of home care agencies and the services they provide.

Nonmedical/Companion Agency:

These types of agencies provide services such as housekeeping, meal preparation, errands, and standby assistance for Activities of Daily Living (ADL's). Caregivers are not certified or licensed and have no medical training. The agency is usually not licensed or accredited and does not provide support by an RN. The agency is generally not available 24 hours a day/7 days a week.

Nursing or Employment Registry:

Registries work as a service to assist clients in finding caregivers to provide services in the home. The caregivers are not employed by the registry and the registries do not provide supervision once a caregiver has been placed.

When a client hires a caregiver from a registry, he or she becomes the "employer" and is responsible for payroll taxes, work-related injuries, and in most cases verifying references and conducting background checks. There are many other factors to consider when hiring a caregiver from a registry; particularly, who will supervise the employee and protect the patient from abuse, neglect and exploitation.

Clinical Model Private Duty Agency:

A clinical model agency provides services for clients by certified or licensed individuals. Caregivers are able to provide simple companion services as well as care for individuals with more complex needs. Nurses provide supervision of the caregiver and develop a plan of care to meet the individual needs. Caregivers are employees of the agency and are provided with ongoing training and education. The agency is responsible for providing continuous care to the client. Agencies are usually required to be licensed by the area Department of Health or other accrediting body.

Live Free Home Health Care is a clinical model agency that exceeds the standards. If you are not sure if Live Free Home Health Care is the right agency for you, give us a call. We will be happy to assist you in choosing the agency that best suits your needs. We understand the difficulties you are facing at this time, and we want to assist you in making the right choice.