Before you call anyone
How to choose a home care agency
Eight questions worth asking any agency, including this one. Establish that they are licensed for the care you actually need, who does the assessment and what they are qualified as, whether you will see the same faces, and what happens when a caregiver is ill. Everything else follows from those.
We have put our own answer next to each question. Where the honest answer is “ask us on the call”, we have said that instead of writing a slogan.
The eight questions
1. Are you licensed, and what does the licence cover?
Ohio licenses non-medical home care separately from skilled home health. An agency licensed for one cannot legally provide the other, and the distinction decides what they are allowed to do in your home.
A good answer sounds like: A licence number given immediately, and a clear statement of what it does and does not cover.
Serenity’s answer: Serenity holds Ohio Department of Health licence 4491HHN for NON-MEDICAL home care. We do not provide skilled nursing, wound care, medication administration or therapy — if you need those we will connect you with an agency that does, free.
2. Who conducts the initial assessment, and what is their qualification?
This is the single most revealing question. The assessment decides the plan, and whether it is done by a clinician or by a salesperson tells you what the agency is actually optimising for.
A good answer sounds like: A named person with a clinical qualification, doing the assessment in the home rather than over the phone.
Serenity’s answer: Gloria Aflya, RN, BSN — our owner and RN Clinical Manager — conducts the initial assessment for every new client herself, in the home, before any caregiver is assigned.
3. Will we see the same caregivers?
Continuity is not a comfort feature. For someone with memory loss, an unfamiliar face can undo the calm of a whole day, and a rotating cast means the family re-explains the routine every week.
A good answer sounds like: A specific answer about how they assign staff — not "we try to".
Serenity’s answer: We assign a small, consistent team rather than sending whoever is free.
4. What happens when our caregiver is ill?
It will happen. How an agency covers it is the difference between an inconvenience and a morning where nobody arrives to help your mother out of bed.
A good answer sounds like: A described process, and honesty about how much notice they need.
Serenity’s answer: Ask us on the call — it depends on the schedule, and we would rather explain it properly than give you a slogan.
5. Is there a minimum number of hours?
Minimums are how agencies protect their scheduling, and they are the most common reason a family is quoted far more care than they need.
A good answer sounds like: A straight number, or a straight no.
Serenity’s answer: No. Serenity has no minimum hours requirement.
6. Do you take any payment for referring us elsewhere?
Placement and referral services are frequently paid a commission by the provider they send you to, typically a share of the first month. That does not make them dishonest, but it shapes which doors they open, and you are entitled to know.
A good answer sounds like: A direct answer either way.
Serenity’s answer: No. Serenity accepts no payment, commission or fee for connecting you with another provider.
7. Are your caregivers employees, and are they insured and background-checked?
If caregivers are contractors rather than employees, questions of liability, supervision and workers compensation can land back with you.
A good answer sounds like: A clear statement on employment status, screening and insurance.
Serenity’s answer: Serenity is licensed, insured and bonded, and our caregivers are background-checked.
8. Can I see the care plan in writing?
A written plan is what makes care reviewable. Without one, nobody can say whether what was agreed is what is happening, least of all a family member who lives out of state.
A good answer sounds like: Yes, as a matter of course — not on request.
Serenity’s answer: Yes. The plan comes out of the RN assessment and is written down.
Common questions
- How do I choose a home care agency?
- Establish four things before anything else: that the agency is licensed by the state for the care you actually need, who conducts the initial assessment and what their qualification is, whether you will see the same caregivers consistently, and what happens when your regular caregiver is ill. Price matters, but an agency that cannot answer those four clearly will not become better once you have signed.
- What licence should a home care agency in Ohio have?
- It depends on the care. Non-medical home care — help with bathing, dressing, meals, housekeeping, companionship — is provided under a non-medical home health agency licence from the Ohio Department of Health. Skilled nursing and therapy at home require a Medicare-certified home health agency. Ask for the licence number and what it covers; any agency should give it without hesitation. Serenity Care Partners holds Ohio Department of Health licence 4491HHN for non-medical home care.
- Should I hire an agency or a private caregiver?
- A private hire usually costs less per hour, but you become the employer: payroll taxes, workers compensation, background screening, liability if someone is injured in your home, and no cover when that person is ill or on holiday. A licensed agency carries those and supervises the care. The right answer depends on how many hours you need and how much risk you are willing to hold yourself.
- What are the warning signs of a bad home care agency?
- Reluctance to give a licence number; no clinical involvement in the assessment; an inability to say who will actually be in the home; pressure to sign on a first call; vagueness about what happens when a caregiver is sick; and claims to provide skilled services under a non-medical licence. That last one is worth checking rather than assuming.
- Does the agency have to be close to where we live?
- It matters more than most people expect. Distance shows up as lateness, as reluctance to cover a short shift, and as difficulty staffing a schedule reliably. Ask directly whether they routinely serve your address, not whether it is inside their service area on paper.
Ask us the eight questions
Tell us what you need and we will answer all of them on the call — including the ones where the answer is that we are not the right provider.