Our guest blogger, Annie Brown from Bright Care, gives some tips on how to choose a care provider when care services are required for yourself, or for a loved one, at home.
Characteristics of a Trustworthy Care Provider
Choosing who you want to provide your care or care for a family member can seem daunting. There are lots of organisations out there all with their own claims and specialities and it’s hard to know who you can trust. The news has shaped us into naturally thinking the worst and finding it increasing difficult to know the signs of a good care organisation. We have compiled a list of 5 characteristics which we think indicate a trustworthy and honest care provider! We hope this helps!
Believe in the Boss first!
Good culture flows from the top of an organisation. Find out who owns the business. Who the CEO is. What is their track record? What do people say about them? Are they respected in their community? At a local level meeting the manager is essential. Transparency is essential with the care manager, they should be open to telling you about themselves and the experience they have gained in care. A great manager will in turn hire and develop great staff. If you don’t like the manager, you can rest assured, you wont like their choice of staff either!
Open about past mistakes.
When you get to the point of speaking to an organisation they should always be open and honest about their past mistakes and what they have learned from them. Don’t be afraid to ask difficult questions. If they become cagey or defensive – they may not be right for you. So… ask the question!
Accepts constructive feedback well.
They should always be keen to learn and improve, if you have any suggestions for them about how they can do things better then let them know! The information you give them should be received in a positive way. If they look at you like you have three heads, they may not be the right fit for you.
Local people providing a local service.
A trustworthy care organisation will always exist in the local community that they provide their service in. They are not fly by night, they have a real local presence and a reputation to lose. This ensures accountability and builds trust and relationship with the families they help to support. This also shows that they actually care about the people and communities around them.
Very particular about hiring the right type of people.
They will be very fussy about who they hire. They will demand a very high quality of local care staff for their business. Ask them about their recruitment and training process. What is the ratio of applicants they typically hire. Good providers will always have a thorough and robust process for both.
Annie Brown, Care Manager
Head Office: – Tower Mains Farm
18A Liberton Brae
Edinburgh
EH16 6AE
Tel: 0131 344 4670
Website: http://www.brightcare.co.uk/scotland/edinburgh/
Our experienced personal law solicitors at Gibson Kerr can also provide advice in relation to cost of care for elderly relatives. You can contact one of our team on 0131 225 7558 or email info@gibsonkerr.co.uk.