How to Choose a Home Care Agency: Questions to Ask

Schedule a free in-home assessment · Call (760) 720-7740, available 24/7

Start by checking the basics

A few things are worth confirming before you get into details:

• Is the agency licensed by the state? California has required Home Care Organizations to be licensed since January 2016. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) lets you search registered home care organizations on its resources for seniors and families page.

• Are the caregivers on the Home Care Aide Registry? California keeps a public registry of home care aides who have been background checked by CDSS. You can look up an aide on the Home Care Aide Registry with their name and registry ID.

• Is the care non-medical or medical? Non-medical home care covers personal care, meals, supervision, companionship and medication reminders. Nursing and therapy come from a licensed home health agency, usually ordered by a doctor. Many families use both.

Questions about the caregivers

• Who employs the caregivers? Ask whether caregivers are employees of the agency or independent contractors, and who hires, trains, schedules and supervises them.

• How are caregivers screened? Ask what checks happen before a caregiver is sent to a home.

• What training do they get for dementia? If your loved one has Alzheimer's or another dementia, ask how caregivers are prepared for memory loss, sundowning, repeated questions and wandering.

• How do you match a caregiver to my parent? Personality, language, experience and schedule all matter. Ask what happens if the fit isn't right.

• Will we see the same caregivers? Familiar faces matter, especially with dementia. Ask how the agency keeps a small, consistent team on the schedule.

Questions about the schedule

• What is the shortest visit you offer, and the longest? Some families need a 4-hour visit a few times a week, others need overnight or around-the-clock help.

• How does 24-hour care work? Ask whether it's covered by caregivers working scheduled shifts, so someone is always awake and ready to help. Read more on our 24-hour care page.

• Do you cover nights? If your loved one is up at night or sundowning, ask whether an overnight caregiver stays awake. See overnight care for sundowning.

• What happens if a caregiver is sick? Ask how the agency arranges a replacement and how you'll be told.

• Can we change hours later? Needs change. Ask whether you can add hours, cut back or pause care, and whether there's a long-term contract.

Questions about the care plan and communication

• Will there be a written care plan? Ask who writes it, what goes in it, and whether every caregiver follows the same plan.

• Who do we call with a question? Ask how to reach the office during the day, at night and on weekends.

• How does the family stay updated? If family lives out of town, ask how updates work. Many agencies, including ours, prefer one family member as the point person, because care is easier to coordinate when the office keeps one person in the loop.

• Do you visit before care starts? An in-home assessment lets the agency see the home, meet your loved one and talk through routines before the first shift.

Before you call: what to write down

Before you call, it helps to jot down:

• What help is needed: bathing and dressing, meals, supervision, companionship, rides to appointments, help at night

• When help is needed: which days, what hours, and whether nights are the hardest part

• Any dementia behaviors that worry you, like wandering, sundowning or getting up at night

• Who in the family will be the main contact

• What your loved one would want, and what would make them comfortable with a caregiver

Signs an agency may be a good fit

• They ask a lot about your loved one, not just the hours

• They explain clearly what their caregivers do and don't do

• They're honest when another kind of care, like home health, hospice or a memory care community, may fit better

• They put the care plan in writing

• You can reach a real person when you call

If you're still weighing care at home against a move, our guide to memory care at home vs. a facility walks through both options.

How Heritage Senior Care answers these questions

• Our caregivers are W-2 employees of Heritage Senior Care, Inc. We hire, train, schedule and supervise them ourselves.

• Dementia and 24-hour care are our focus, with shifts from 8 to 24 hours plus overnight shifts. 24-hour coverage is built from scheduled shifts so someone is always awake and ready to help.

• A 4-hour visit minimum for shorter visits and respite care.

• No long-term contracts, so you can add hours, cut back or pause care.

• One written care plan that every caregiver on the schedule follows, built at a free in-home assessment.

• A consistent team: we work to keep the same small group of caregivers on the schedule.

• One point person for family updates, so the office keeps one family member in the loop and they can share news with everyone else.

• Non-medical care only. We do not provide nursing or medical treatment, and our caregivers can work alongside a home health or hospice team.

Gayle Mayben founded Heritage Senior Care in 1983, and we're still family-owned. All scheduling is handled from our one office at 2111 Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad, and our caregivers work in homes across North County San Diego. Learn more about our Alzheimer's and dementia care and 24-hour dementia care at home.

Questions to ask about choosing a home care agency

What questions should I ask a home care agency?

Ask whether the agency is licensed, whether caregivers are employees, how caregivers are screened and trained for dementia, how matching works, what the shortest and longest shifts are, how nights and 24-hour care are covered, what happens if a caregiver is sick, whether there's a written care plan, and how the family stays updated.

How do I check if a home care agency is licensed in California?

California has required Home Care Organizations to be licensed since January 2016. You can search registered home care organizations through the California Department of Social Services, or call its Home Care Services Branch at (877) 424-5778.

How can I look up a caregiver in California?

California keeps a public Home Care Aide Registry of aides who have been background checked by the Department of Social Services. You can search it with the aide's first and last name and their registry ID.

What is the difference between home care and home health?

Home care is non-medical help with daily life, such as personal care, meals, supervision and companionship. Home health is skilled care like nursing or therapy from licensed professionals, usually ordered by a doctor. Many families use both.

Are your caregivers employees?

Yes. Our caregivers are W-2 employees of Heritage Senior Care, Inc. We hire, train, schedule and supervise them ourselves.

Do you provide dementia care and 24-hour care?

Yes. Dementia and 24-hour care are our focus. We offer shifts from 8 to 24 hours plus overnight shifts, and 24-hour coverage is built from scheduled shifts so someone is always awake and ready to help.

What is the minimum visit length?

Visits have a 4-hour minimum, and there are no long-term contracts, so you can add hours, cut back or pause care.

How do families stay updated?

We like to have one family member as the point person for updates. Care is easier to coordinate when our office keeps one person in the loop, and that person can share news with the rest of the family.

What happens during the free assessment?

We meet you and your loved one at home, walk through the house for safety, and talk about routines, nights and how many hours of help you need. Then we put together a written care plan. Call (760) 720-7740, available 24/7, or request a free assessment. You can also send us a note.

Straight answers to your questions, from a family that has been doing this since 1983. Free assessment · (760) 720-7740 (24/7) · Office Mon–Fri 9 am–4 pm · 2111 Palomar Airport Rd Ste 120, Carlsbad, CA 92011