The Most Important Questions
What are the MOST important questions to ask home care companies?
- Is your company CAHSAH-certified?
YES – We are accredited as a Certified Home Care Aide Organization by CAHSAH, the California Association for Health Services at Home. CAHSAH certification is the most rigorous and meaningful certification for home care companies in California. There are other certifications, but they lack important certification criteria such as TB testing and bonding that are only required for CAHSAH certification. Whenever a home care company claims to be CAHSAH-Certified, ask to see their current CAHSAH Certificate. And since we just suggested, here is a link to A Servant’s Heart Senior Care’s current CAHSAH Home Care Aide Organization Certificate.
- Are you a full-service home care company or just a registry or a domestic referral agency? In other words, are your caregivers all employees of your company or are they something else?
YES – We are a full-service home care company. Our caregivers are all employees or our company.
- How do you select your caregivers? Do you have specific selection criteria?
YES – We use very specific selection and screening criteria, described in more detail in our Checklist For Choosing a Home Care Company.
- Do you promise that you will NEVER miss a scheduled shift? If so, what structure do you have in place to keep that promise?
YES – We always have backup caregivers on call and we have special technology in place to make sure that OUR caregivers are truly on the job when and where they are supposed to be.
- Does your company CHARGE EXTRA for gloves, sanitizer, and gait belts to protect the caregivers?
NO – We provide those supplies at no extra charge to our clients and we have always done so. Most other companies charge their clients for those supplies.
- Have you EVER placed any caregivers who were later proven to be guilty of dishonest acts or client abuse, or settled out of court with a client or client’s family or other plaintiffs regarding such crimes?
NO – We have never had such incidents. We attribute this to our stringent caregiver screening and selection criteria and to our frequent, close supervision (and support!) of our caregivers.
- Is your company a member of, and accredited by, the Better Business Bureau?
YES – We have been proud members of the San Diego Better Business Bureau ever since our company was created. We are one of the few home care and care management companies in San Diego County to hold an “A+” rating from the BBB.
