Your child or infant fits the criteria for pediatric home care. But what now? What are the next steps and what should you look out for when choosing pediatric home care for your child?
Choosing the right pediatric home care is crucial to getting the best help, education, and relief for both your child and your entire family and support network. In this article, we’ll cover everything you should consider when searching for pediatric home care.
Choosing a Caregiver
A pediatric home caregiver will naturally spend a lot of time with your family, so it’s essential to find someone you and your child feel comfortable with and trust.
Qualifications and licenses
Be sure to check out the pediatric home healthcare provider’s credentials, licenses, and permits so you know you’re partnering with a trusted, reliable provider.
Experience and expertise
The number of years in the field of pediatric care is important, yet equally as important is your pediatric caregiver’s familiarity with similar cases to yours. You want to know they are confident and skilled to handle the level of care required for your child’s individual needs.
Personable and likeable
Caring for a special needs child or a child with medical conditions is incredibly challenging. Therefore, it’s important to find caregivers with good energy, someone positive and friendly who gets along well with the family and helps reduce stress. It can make a huge difference to the experience for your child and the entire family as a whole.
Availability and Flexibility
Understanding your caregiver’s schedule and routine is an important factor when looking for pediatric home healthcare. Your family’s schedule is unique so it’s ideal to find a caregiver that can adjust their timetable to work with yours.
A pediatric home healthcare provider is your family’s partner in creating a smooth, healthy, and happily functioning household. Experience, availability, and personality are all important factors when considering who to bring into your home — but remember to trust your gut and check references and referrals to feel confident with your choice.
Questions to Ask Pediatric Home Health Care Agencies
Choosing a pediatric home healthcare provider is a big deal, and you should have the chance to get all your questions answered. When approaching a home health care agency for pediatric home services, consider asking these questions:
- Are your staff members trained and certified in pediatric care?
- Can you provide references from other families you’ve worked with?
- Can you provide specialized care for my child’s specific needs?
- Do you offer 24/7 support and emergency services?
- How do you coordinate care with other care providers involved in my child’s care?
- What methods of communication do you use to stay in touch with parents and family members?
- Do you provide care education and training for parents?
- Are staff members trained in CPR and first aid?
- What is included in your service fees?
- What insurance providers do you work with?
- How quickly can you provide services in case of an emergency or urgent need?
- How do you assist families with transitioning from hospital or other care settings to home care?
- Can you provide support and guidance for long-term care planning for my child?
What To Avoid When Choosing Pediatric Home Care
While looking out for positive factors in a pediatric home healthcare company, parents should be aware of red flags that may indicate the provider is not suitable for their child and family’s needs.
Poor Communication
Providers who are unresponsive, transparent, or good at setting expectations may not be reliable.
High Turnover Rates
A high turnover rate among staff members may indicate issues with the care quality or the internal management within the organization.
Schedule Rigidity
Providers who are not willing to adjust the child’s care plan as needed, or can’t be flexible with their timetable may not be able to provide the best care.
Safety Concerns
If you feel a lack of safety protocols in place or unconcern about safety measures coming from the provider, the child may be at risk.
Unclear Billing
Be wary of providers who don’t have clear-cut billing practices. You want to be able to trust your child’s caregivers implicitly.
Lack of Family Involvement
Providers should make sure to involve the parents and family members at all times. Providers who don’t keep the family in the loop of the child’s care may not be able to provide the level of support needed for the family as a whole.
Unprofessional Behavior
Providers who exhibit unprofessional behavior or who do not respect the family’s wishes should be avoided. Most importantly, parents should trust their instincts. Be sure to thoroughly research and vet potential pediatric home care providers to ensure they can provide the best care for your child.
Americare Can Help
Choosing a pediatric home healthcare provider is challenging for so many reasons. Experience, personality, and reliability are all top priorities. At Americare, we are committed to your child’s well-being, becoming an extension of your family through trusting relationships and professional service.
The Americare promise is to earn your trust every day, providing the much-needed peace of mind your family deserves.