In home care, as in any other business, establishing trust with clients is crucial to a good long-term relationship. Families are making choices about in-home care under stressful situations, either because of an acute incident which brings home the cold fact that an older relative cannot live independently any longer, or a longer period of decline, which points out the same thing.
It’s not like buying shoes at Nordstrom, where if you don’t like them, you can take them back. A tremendous amount of time and emotional energy goes into the decision to hire a home care agency. Making a good selection is not a trivial matter – the health, safety, and comfort of a loved one are at stake.
A good home care agency will recognize the stress that accompanies a family’s decision. From the get-go, the agency will take steps to establish a positive relationship with a family and show it’s worthy of being trusted. For example, a good home care agency will:
- Make sure that from the very first call everyone treats the family with the same respect and consideration they would like themselves.
- Explain to the family the policies and procedures the agency has in place to make sure caregivers are reliable and dependable and can be trusted.
- Understand that first impressions count. Making sure caregivers show up on time, understand the dress code, and are polite and respectful are important every shift, but more so the first few shifts a caregiver spends with a family.
- Take initiative and show confidence. Both caregivers and office staff should look for ways to provide excellent customer service. That includes getting continuous feedback from the family.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have these ideas in mind when interviewing home care agencies. It’s the same you would want others to do for you if, someday, you are in the same position as your loved one.
If you would like to discuss in-home care contact us. We would be happy to answer all your questions.
