Steps to Vet Home Caregiving Agencies

For people who need care and support, and for their Loved Ones

First: Confirm the Agency Has an Active DOH License

Before anything else, make sure the agency you are hiring has an Active license with the Department of Health (DOH).

1. Go to the license search page: https://wahelms.my.site.com/s/license-search
2. Choose the “Facility and Services Search” tab.
3. Select “Licensed Facility.”
4. In Facility Name, enter the agency’s name (for example: Visiting Angels).
5. Check the “I am not a robot” box.
6. Choose “Search.”

The status you want is Active. Pending or Expired won’t do. Anything other than Active means the Department of Health has not approved the agency yet and does not currently oversee it. A Pending status may mean the agency has submitted a license application, but DOH hasn’t finished reviewing it.

For your information: Ignis Rose Care, LLC’s license status is Pending. We will post on our website as soon as we are licensed to launch!

Second: Read the Reviews

Read the testimonials on the agency’s website, as well as on Yelp, Trustpilot, and Google. Sometimes a 2-out-of-5-star review is still worth considering. Read the cons and ask yourself: Is this issue as important to me as it is to the person who wrote it?

Think about what you are looking for in a caregiving agency and its caregivers. Your criteria may not be the same as other clients’ criteria.

Third: Check the Weekly Hours They Offer

Do they offer your ideal number of hours per week? Some companies require a minimum of 4 or 6 hours per week, while others offer as little as 2 hours. It is normal to pay a higher hourly rate if you need only 2 hours a week than if you need 20 hours a week of caregiving help.

Fourth: Ask About the Length of Care Agreements

Care agreements can range from a few months to a year, or there may be no time limit at all. Ask what happens if you need to break an agreement. Usually it costs a set fee, but in general it is possible to end the agreement before its due date.

Fifth: Ask About Discounts

Do they offer discounts, and how can you qualify? Discounts may be available to certain groups (such as veterans or their spouses) or during certain time periods.

Sixth: Be Involved in the Assessment and First Visit

If you are the loved one of a person who needs care and support, ask to be present at the assessment meeting and at the beginning of (or during) the first visit, when the caregiver comes in for the first time.

Ask a lot of questions, including but not limited to:

• Does the agency have a policy of checking in with clients and their loved ones after the first visit to get feedback and find out whether they are comfortable with the new caregiver?
• How does the agency address clients’ concerns, whether they relate to the agency’s practices or a caregiver’s conduct?