Different types of caregivers provide home health care services to children with special health care needs. They may be Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), or Licensed Nurse Assistants (LNAs). These providers work for home health agencies, and their scope of practice is governed by licensure through the NH Board of Nursing.
The process for receiving home health services begins with a conversation with your child’s primary care doctor. You and your child’s doctor will want to discuss the type of home care that would suit your child and the number of hours a day this care is needed. A parent then calls a home health agency and requests services. The home health agency will arrange to come to your home, meet you and your child, and identify the needs that must be addressed in a care plan. The Home Health agency usually contacts your child’s doctor, who will prescribe home care services.
You, the parent or guardian, should be able to interview and get the final approval of the home-based caregiver for your child. You should decide if your child or other family members should participate in the interview and, in preparation, make a list of questions applicable to the care of your child. Some suggested questions for the interview might be:
- Where have you worked before?
- What were your duties?
- How do you handle people who are angry, stubborn, or fearful?
- Are you able to lift or transfer from a wheelchair to a bed?
- Is there anything in the job description that you are uncomfortable doing?
Consider what qualities/skills you require and what you can train a good candidate to do. Be sure that you have a chance to watch the interactions between the in-home caregiver and the family member for whom he or she will be providing care. It is natural to feel nervous and unsure about having someone you may not know come into your home to provide care or other services for your child with special health care needs. To ease your fears and to help you get a good start in your relationship with your child’s in-home caregiver, here are some steps to take before services begin:
- Learn as much as you can about the scope or description of services to be provided and about the agency that employs the person who will be your child’s caregiver.
- Be open and honest about your expectations and discuss them with the agency management. Find out what the agency expects of you.
- Ask about your rights and options if you are unsatisfied with the care or services your child receives. You may want to ask the agency for a different caregiver or switch to another agency altogether.
- Talk with other families who use in-home caregivers and learn from their experiences.