Working with Outside Caregivers
- Nurses
- Nurse aides or technicians
- Personal attendants or assistants
- Therapists
- Teachers
- Respite care providers or sitters
Family Rights
- Recognize you, the parent, as the principal authority for decisions in the home.
- Provide fully qualified and trained personnel suitable to the job, including proof of background checks and references from previous employers.
- Follow through on agreed-upon arrangements or substitute staff when the regular caregiver is unavailable.
- Replace a caregiver who is not providing appropriate care for your child.
- Arrange meetings between the agency supervisor, home care staff, and parent/family/child to review and resolve any problems.
- Maintain ongoing communication as agreed upon to discuss services and plan for future needs or changes.
Communication is Key
Family Responsibilities
- 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 in case you are not satisfied with the care or services your child receives. In some circumstances, you may want to ask the service agency for a different caregiver or research new agencies and switch altogether, but this will be easier to navigate if you learn about the options before it becomes an issue.
Resources
Information & Support
For Professionals
National Association for Home Care
Provides current news about homecare-related legislation; also includes a homecare agency locator. 202-547-7424
For Parents and Patients
American Association for Homecare
Find out about different types of homecare available, who offers it and how to choose what's right for you. 703-836-6263
PACER Center
Champions for Children with Disabilities, PACER Center is a parent advocacy site covering a wide variety of topics for special
needs kids including education, community support, training for parents, bullying prevention, financial planning, and teen
transition to employment.
Family Caregiver Alliance
Here, you'll find information about education, services, research, and advocacy to support family caregivers. A navigator
helps locate state-specific services.
Empowering Caregivers
Provides newsletters, message boards, and articles for family caregivers.
Caregiver Media Group
Site includes "Today's Caregiver" magazine, conference information, newsletters, discussion lists, chat room, and more.