Choosing an Alzheimer’s Caregiver in Kansas City

Being a caregiver for someone who has Alzheimer’s is a tough job. I had five siblings to help with my mom, and we still needed to hire a Kansas City agency that provided Alzheimer’s home care services. So don’t feel bad if you can’t do it all. You’re not alone.

Once you’ve made the decision to stop trying to provide 24-hour senior care by yourself, you’ll need to choose a Kansas City agency that specializes in home care for seniors with dementia. Here are some tips that may help:

Determine your needs. Do you need an agency that provides 24-hour Alzheimer’s care, or is someone home during the daytime that can fill in? Do you need someone to help with bathing, dressing, and grooming? Meal preparation? Housekeeping? Transportation?

Ask for referrals. Ask Kansas City friends or relatives who have cared for someone with Alzheimer’s (and had to get dementia home care services) who they hired. Ask what they liked about the agency they used and what they didn’t like. If you don’t know enough people with Alzheimer’s experience to get a few referrals, ask your doctor for recommendations. Also ask if he or she has received any feedback (good or bad) on any of the recommended Alzheimer’s home care agencies.

Conduct interviews. When scheduling the interviews, make sure the agencies you’re considering have experience in providing dementia home care. Don’t waste time on any that don’t.

During each interview, ask if the agency is licensed, bonded and insured; if they provide the services you’ve determined you need; if additional services are included (e.g., mental stimulation activities, cognitive awareness games, physical activities, music therapy ); if they provide 24-hour care (Even if you don’t need it now, you may later.); if caregivers will be consistent the majority of the time; and how the agency will ensure your loved one is receiving quality care.

Take notes during the interviews so you’ll remember the responses to your questions.

Make your choice. Once you’ve conducted your interviews, you should have a good idea which Kansas City home care agency will best fit your (and your loved one’s) needs. So give them a call, and get started.

Monitor care provided. You need to have some method of monitoring the care your loved one is getting. Even though the agency should be checking on its employees or contractors, do some drop-in visits to see if your loved one is clean and groomed and what the caregiver is doing when you arrive. If you don’t like what you see, call the agency.