TLC Mobile Care, FL, was created by a big-hearted medical professional who saw a lack of service when it came to elderly care in hospitals and wanted to provide the best possible service to a group of incredible people. The most significant issue for our aging population is isolation, depression, and loss of independence, resulting in the inability to stay in their own home. 

At TLC Mobile Care, FL, we know It’s essential to find an in-home caregiver your family will be comfortable with. When interviewing caregivers, including the person or persons who will need the care and make sure they interact well with the aide, creating more than a working relationship but a friendship. When placing an adie with a family or person we make sure to ask important questions like:
Do they communicate well with each other?
Are there language barriers?
Do your loved ones enjoy the person’s company?

Having shared interests can make a big difference. For example, one of my clients loved NASCAR so we found a home health aide who did, too. They immediately hit it off.

Elder Companions

These aides keep a watchful eye, dispense daily medications, drive to haircut appointments, safeguard someone unsteady on his or her feet, read aloud, play cards, prepare light meals and snacks, and otherwise function as an extra set of hands, eyes, and feet for your loved one. Companion care is a growing subset of home care options.

Companion care is ideal for someone who would otherwise have to spend part of the day alone and who requires some light assistance. Family members can work or handle other activities knowing their loved one isn’t left alone. Companion care also provides a valuable social benefit, decreasing isolation and improving mood. Warm relationships are often formed when a consistent companion is on the job.

Whether you choose to hire independently or go through an agency, doing some homework on your candidates will help ensure that you hire a reputable worker.

TLC Mobile Care, FL offers a comprehensive directory of non-medical home care agencies and home health agencies. You can search the directory to find local agencies and read consumer reviews about their quality of care. Another excellent way to find a high-quality agency is Medicare’s Home Healthcare Compare tool, which allows you to search for agencies in your area that have met with Medicare’s approval. The site gives a summary of statistics on the quality of each agency, such as “percentage of patients who get better at walking around,” that you can use to guide your decision.

If you hire someone yourself, it’s a good idea to find an individual who has (or who once had) a home health aide license, so you know a registered nurse has trained the person in the basics of care. Also get a criminal record check from a service such as Intelius or SentryLink and always call references. There are always a few bad apples who’ll take advantage of vulnerable clients — make sure you don’t unwittingly hire one. “If the person doesn’t want to submit to a reference check, that’s not the person you want — it’s a big red flag,” says Dollar.