Questions to ask before you agree to care
A printable checklist to use on your first call or visit with any care provider.
Use these questions on your first call with a provider. A good provider will be happy to answer them, and the answers make it much easier to compare options side by side.
About the provider
- How long have you been providing care, and in which areas?
- Are you registered with the CAC? Can you share your registration details?
- Which regulator or professional body are you or your staff registered with?
- Can I speak to one or two families you currently support?
About the carers
- How do you check carers' identity, references and backgrounds?
- What training have they had? Are any of them qualified nurses?
- Will my relative have the same carer each time?
- Who supervises the carer, and how often do they visit?
- What happens if the carer is ill, on leave or does not arrive?
About the care
- Will you assess my relative's needs before care starts? Is there a charge for that?
- Do you write a care plan, and can family see it?
- How do you keep family informed, especially family abroad? Calls, WhatsApp updates, written reports?
- What do carers do in a medical emergency?
About money and terms
- What exactly is included in the price, and what costs extra?
- How do I pay, and will I get receipts?
- Is there a minimum period or a notice period to stop care?
- Will you put all of this in a written agreement?