When the time comes to hire a home care provider for a family member, especially one suffering from dementia, how will you know whether you can trust that person’s background, education, training and abilities, and availability?
Many people often hire individuals that are referred to them by a friend or through a quick find on the internet. According to the Home Care Association of America, a greater number of consumers who are dealing with chronic or debilitating health conditions are turning to home care, rather than institutional care, because of the desire for a higher quality of life. In turn, those looking for a caregiver choose the least expensive option, which ultimately means an inexperienced worker.
“As harmless as this may seem, hiring an unlicensed caregiver is a risky decision,” says Valerie Svenningsen, who co-owns ComForcare Senior Services located at 1207 McHenry Road (Suite 218A) in Buffalo Grove and 9405 Bormet Drive (Suite 4) in Mokena. “This can subject clients to physical, psychological or financial abuse, and it is an issue that we must confront and try to solve.”
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ComForcare offers home care services to seniors and others on an hourly, daily, weekly or 24/7 care basis. Personal-care services include bathroom assistance, dressing and oral hygiene, recording of vital medical signs, hands-on bathing and more. All ComForcare aids are Certified Nurse Assistants, and all care plans are customized to fit the needs of the family and the loved one who needs this specialized support.
“My husband and business partner, Robert, and I have hired home care providers for our loved ones over the years, and through our own experiences found that hiring CNAs is the only way to go,” said Svenningsen. “A CNA certified caregiver has the passion to work in the healthcare industry and the desire and credentials to care for an ailing individual.”
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Clients need reminders to eat and take medication; some can’t be left alone for long periods of time and some are dealing with incontinence and/or dementia. Hiring a CNA through a reputable company guarantees that someone will always be there on schedule and on time.
“CNAs assigned by ComForcare have undergone fingerprinted criminal background checks and, in Illinois, must have taken a specific training program that includes a two-week internship at a nursing home,” said Svenningsen. “Managers will also make home visits to check on how caregivers are doing because it’s important to have someone make sure everything is running in a professional and reliable manner so that family members don’t have to.”
ComForcare must renew its state home health care license annually, and all individual care plans are developed with the family’s input along with 24 hour call assistance if there are any concerns or issues that one might want to address.
“We have to put a stop to this rising issue,” said Svenningsen. “Our loved ones deserve caregivers who are both skilled and experienced and it is our responsibility to make sure our family members are put in the right hands when we cannot be there ourselves.”
Founded in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., ComForcare Senior Services has 145 franchise owners operating 165 territories in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. ComForcare plans to add approximately 40 new locations in 2014.