September 20, 2022
10 Tips for Choosing the Right Home Care Provider
Selecting the right home care provider can be a life-changing decision. We created this guide to help you find the provider best for your family.
When you select a home care provider, you are trusting them to care for your loved ones over many hours, overseeing their health, safety, and comfort.
Having a caregiver team that your family loves and trusts to manage your changing needs can be a life-changing decision. You don’t have the time to deal with no-shows, fire drills in the middle of the night for things that can be anticipated, and loved ones frustrated by inadequately trained and unmotivated caregivers.
The best caregivers not only provide excellent care, they do it with the love and compassion that lifts your spirit. They become part of your extended family.
There are many home care options available to you, so we developed this list of 10 things to look for when choosing the right home care provider for your family’s needs.
Yes, this is our view of the world. But it’s a view that’s driven by our mission and refined over the last 10 years of working with hundreds of families like yours.
1. Caregivers are fully vetted, tested, and carefully selected
Our View: It’s important you trust that the agency sending people into your home to provide care has done their homework on the caregiver. We have. Tribute has one of the most extensive interview processes in home care, with only 3% of applicants getting hired.
Candidates go through multiple rounds of interviews, skill assessments, and background checks. Then we conduct personal reference checks. This is al done to make sure
they have all the attributes we require.
2. Access to a live person 24/7 for anything you need
Our View: When something happens overnight or on the weekend, a call back the next day isn’t good enough when you need assistance. Tribute will always have a live person available when you call, or you’ll get a callback within minutes at any time of the day or night. We’ll own the solution and address it quickly and efficiently.
3. The right Caregiver fit for your family is guaranteed
Our View: It’s important your loved one is comfortable with their caregiver right from the start. We carefully assess each client’s needs and personality preferences to find the right Caregiver. Our first matches are a fit over 95% of the time. If you want us to make a change, we’ll address it quickly and non-defensively, you won’t be charged for the visit.
4. Caregivers are appreciated, celebrated and well compensated
Our View: Caregivers who are appreciated and celebrated provide the most loving care to their clients. Tribute was created with a mission to create a culture of celebration that rewards Caregivers with top-of-market wages, benefits, and paid time off. It helps us attract and retain the best.
Tribute has among the highest employee satisfaction ratings on Indeed, and many of our Caregivers consider Tribute to be like family to them.
5. Care plans are personalized for your needs and preferences
Our View: We know that everyone has unique preferences and care needs, so we develop a custom care plan for each client. We review it regularly and make sure everyone on the team and involved in the care – other family members, caregivers, geriatric care managers, and/or residence directors – are up to date and on the same page.
6. Proven record of on-time reliability
Our View: A late arrival, or worse a no-show, can be a major disruption to your day. We’re on top of it. We track and measure all aspects of our service to deliver to your high standards. Reliability and on-time performance are at the top of the list.
Our caregivers are very reliable. In the rare event that a Caregiver is running late, we’re calling them on it and updating you. If a Caregiver is unable to make a scheduled visit, we will always offer a replacement.
7. On-demand access to visit care notes
Our View: The daily updates and activities of your loved ones shouldn’t be a mystery, and communications need to work with your busy schedule. Our team will develop a communications plan that fits your schedule.
When you need updates quickly, Tribute’s secure mobile app provides you access to Caregiver schedules, care plan notes, updates on daily activities, and other important observations from our visits when you want it.
8. Guidance on all your senior care needs
Our View: If you’re facing senior care for the first time, there can be a lot to learn. Our team can help you navigate all aspects of senior care. We’ve been in this field a long time and we’re happy to share guidance and recommendations that can help you make the right decisions for you and your family.
We might be able to help you save a lot of time, money, and frustration over the long term.
9. Caregivers who lift the spirit of everyone around them
Our View: Many home care providers can meet your care needs, but what makes a Caregiver special is how they make your loved ones feel. How they help in a way that lifts their spirits in a personal way.
This is the Tribute difference. We hire and develop remarkable people who understand how these relationships can transform someone’s life.
10. Highly recommended by families and care professionals
Our View: Referrals are the lifeblood of home care providers. Our business was built on word-of-mouth and referrals from top senior care professionals.
Tribute surveys clients throughout their time with us to be sure we’re delivering outstanding service. Our Net Promoter Scores far surpass industry standards, and we proudly share client reviews regularly on our website and social media.