If you or a loved one requires in home elder care, it can seem like an overwhelming job to find the right professionals to work with. Creating a checklist and working from it, though, can streamline the process significantly. Let's look at four items that should be on your checklist.

Itemize Requirements

The first thing you need to figure out is exactly what has to be done. There's a huge gap in the level of elder care that has to be provided for someone who might need some assistance with laundry, for example, versus a person who requires wound care. The company sending a professional to lend a hand will use these requirements to establish whether you need a helper, a CNA, or even a full-on LPN or RN. When there are doubts, talk with the elder person's doctor and ask them to outline what will be necessary.

Understand Baseline Issues

A similar process of taking stock needs to occur with the mental and emotional states of the person being cared for. Care for someone who is mentally well-off is going to be very different than what's necessary to help someone who has late-stage dementia. If you're not sure what the situation is, ask for an assessment from a doctor. Have them put home care requirements in writing to ensure that an appropriate level of assistance is provided.

Working with Your Insurance

It's always wise to inquire with your insurance carrier before setting up in home elder care. This will ensure that you can afford the care that's being provided. If you feel there's something necessary that won't be covered, contact an administrator to ask them for an explanation. They may be able to help you work through the problem to set things up.

Setting Up a Station

When a professional comes into a home, especially for the first time, it can be helpful to have everything required set up in a station. You might want to purchase a cart and fill it with necessary items like syringes, ointments, thermometers, and pre-filled medication boxes. You should also lay out a schedule that includes detailed information about when medication or treatments need to be administered.

Include your contact information with the station in case the assistant needs to ask you a question. Add alternate phone numbers for yourself and anyone else who can answer questions or who might need to be contacted in an emergency.

For more information, contact companies like Always Right Home Care.