I have been Mom's caregiver 24/7 at her house for 2 1/2 years. I have not had any help, I am with her every minute. I am behind on many things I want to do. I want to get someone in the house once a week so I can get out to get the car serviced, doctor appointments, etc. I have researched home care agencies. Last week I called the agency that was 1st on my list. I left a voice mail message. How long should I wait for a response before I move on to my second choice?
Their approach is often the typical helpful, cooperative, "we're the best", but if you can guide the discussion to some casual topics sometimes they're more relaxed and give you an insight into the way they run the business.
Last year I called 2 agencies, both well rated plus a new one in the area. The first conversation was very pleasant and encouraging, but I learned that some agencies are franchised and the different franchises aren't all equal.
That initial conversation was encouraging, but the franchise owner stated that a new franchise closer to our area had opened up and she needed to verify whether or not her franchise or the new one would have jurisdiction. A quick call to the other agency determined that the other agency probably would have jurisdiction, and would call me to discuss my needs.
That never happened. Bad, bad, bad way to start out a new franchised business!
I never called back. If she can't even call, I won't waste my time.
I'd call the second, third, fourth and more agencies now. You'll learn from each conversation and refine what you want and how to present it.
An example of that is that I learned from a few agencies that their weekly standards were minimum of a 3 hour visit, 2x weekly. I called another agency, recommended by someone in my father's church, and a brand-new start-up agency. I thought they might be more flexible b/c of just starting up.
Not so. Their minimum weekly was 20 hours per week, at a cost of $23/hour. I cut the call short, noted it on my checklist and moved on.
One thing good about using an Agency is if a caregiver is unable to come to the house for her scheduled work, the Agency will quickly find someone to fill in. What I had liked was that the Agency was licensed, bonded, insured, and had workman's comp for their employees, plus other benefits. They were expensive but well worth the cost.