Home care

GEM Healthcare Services > Blog > Home care
young female professional doctor giving consultation asian senior couple with using tablet computer in the room
Family, Home care

Key questions to ask when looking for a home health care company

When you realize you need caregiving support for yourself or a loved one, it can be a stressful time. Asking the right questions as you talk with service providers can help you get the answers you need to make the best decision for your unique circumstances. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions GEM receives on a regular basis along with the corresponding answers we provide.

How long has your company been in business?


GEM has been providing trusted, reliable home health care services for over thirty years. We are a family-owned business offering care services to individuals seeking personal support, nursing care (via RNs and RPNs) as well as home support and companionship. Our corporate motto, our family for yours, encapsulates our commitment to providing the best, most compassionate care possible. We are fully licensed and active, accredited members of the Canadian Home Care Association and Home Care Ontario.

How quickly are you able to arrange a caregiver placement?

Our experienced case managers will be able to quickly assess your needs via a telephone meeting or in-person visit, if necessary, before promptly matching you with a trained caregiver. Often this process can be completed within just a few days of your initial call to GEM.

How do you recruit staff?

We have numerous effective methods for recruiting reliable nursing professionals and personal caregivers including job fairs, focused advertising and more. All personnel are required to undergo a rigorous screening process and successfully complete a background check. Comprehensive on-the-job training is provided whenever necessary.

What are your processes for quality control and communication?

GEM has long-established, highly effective processes and quality control measures, including a robust case management system which facilitates monitoring the status of each client engagement. Any issues or concerns are communicated promptly to the client’s loved ones and proactive communication is undertaken regularly by GEM’s team as well. Our phones are staffed 24/7 so we can be reached at any time, should you have questions.

If the caregiver-client match proves incompatible, what happens next?

Our rigorous screening and matching process helps to ensure the best fit for each client’s care needs. However, in the very rare instances where it becomes necessary for us to find a new caregiver, we work quickly to place a new individual from among our large roster of care providers.

What services do you provide?

We provide a broad range of one-on-one home healthcare and personal support services in a variety of locations including clients’ private homes, retirement homes and institutional settings. Our clients range from infants to the very elderly. We also offer nursing care in the same locations. Our professional companion services are available to improve clients’ overall well-being, decrease feelings of isolation, and accompany them to appointments if needed. Please visit the services section of our website for more information or contact us for details.

What is the minimum shift length for your care workers?

Typically, shifts are at least four hours in length, to allow sufficient time for the worker to complete their tasks while providing companionship and conversation as well as relaying any issues or concerns to the individual’s family and our case management team. Depending upon the circumstances, shorter shifts may be possible (for example, if providing respite care to supplement government-provided services).

Do you provide live-in caregivers?

GEM does not provide live-in caregivers for several reasons, the most significant being that there are labour laws which govern workweek length. Weekend coverage is also an issue. Instead, we find that providing quality workers in shifts of up to 12 hours in length offers our clients superior care without the need of a live-in worker.

Does your company have experience with clients who have specific needs, such as dementia or mobility issues?

Yes, GEM has extensive experience dealing with clients of all ages who have special needs. From accident or surgery-induced mobility problems to genetic conditions, illness or age-related mobility issues, dementia and more, we have seen it all and can easily develop the most appropriate care plan for each client.

Health Care worker with senior patient and family
Family, Home care

Collaborative Approach A Key Differentiator For GEM

The concept of collaborative health care is garnering much attention and for good reasons. This team-based approach involves multiple healthcare professionals, patients, and families working together to deliver the highest quality care. Having various experts share their knowledge and insights to develop individualized treatment plans not only enhances the patient experience; it also improves health care system efficiency and optimizes patient outcomes.


GEM has long recognized that a similarly collaborative approach to home health care offers the best results. “We are firm advocates for identifying shared goals, sharing decision-making and drafting a care plan that ensures key needs are consistently met in a timely fashion,” says the company’s founder and CEO, Gaye Moffett. “This approach enables the person receiving care, their family members and the care providers to be on the same page and ensure the client’s best interests are always at the forefront.”


Collaborative care is equally important whether the client is living independently at home, receiving periodic assistance in a semi-autonomous setting such as a retirement home, or requiring more intensive support in a long-term care facility.


“Regardless of the setting or the needs of the individual, we always offer a personal approach and this has been key to both client satisfaction and our company’s longstanding success,” adds Gaye. “We have a thorough intake process to determine exactly what each client’s needs are, through home visits and telephone assessments. Similarly rigorous is the care we take in our approach to hiring and then matching our staff to clients; this is a key part of ensuring the highly individualized care plans we have created are executed successfully. Each person has unique requirements and we have been in business long enough to be experts at this assessment and matching process.”


Collaborative care is certainly nothing new to GEM; the company has utilized this approach for over 30 years and it has always been a hallmark of their professionalism. “Over 80% of our new business comes from word-of-mouth referrals, from satisfied clients or their families,” notes Gaye.


Open communication and effective care coordination are key components of GEM’s collaborative approach. “Whenever questions or issues arise, clients and families, as well as our staff members, know they can liaise 24/7 with our administrative coordinators can then draw in other individuals, such as our nursing supervisor, as needed. These coordinators are experts at getting expedited responses to ensure swift resolution,” explains Gaye. She emphasizes that GEM’s approach enhances client well-being as there is a consistency of care with the same hand-picked small team of staff attending regularly. “We know that when a health care service provider is not functioning like a well-oiled machine, there can be breakdowns in communication. There can be a lot of frustration when a client must explain their needs to a new person each day, so we work tirelessly to avoid that. We also ensure that issues are dealt with promptly and effectively by our front-line staff so clients’ health and dignity are maintained. Our approach has been proven to help people live safely in their homes for longer and we are very proud of that.”

Home care

GEM partnership with City of Ottawa provides support for low-income clients

For over ten years, GEM Health Care Services has been engaged in a partnership with
the City of Ottawa to provide support for low-income social services clients, delivering
much-needed care services tailored to individual needs.

“From the outset, I knew I wanted to grow the company to a point where we would be
able to leverage our leadership position in the health care services industry to support
those who might not otherwise be able to receive care,” says GEM’s founder, President
and CEO Gaye Moffett. “Our team members take great pride in delivering the same
compassionate care to all clients, including vulnerable populations, to allow them to live
more comfortably and safely at home.”

Currently, GEM has over 500 social services clients to whom support is provided for
various aspects of what the City designates as homemaking services. These include
cleaning, dusting, vacuuming, laundry and changing linens, plus assisting with grocery
ordering and simple meal preparation tasks.

The difference that these in-home support workers make is valued and tangible.
“Oftentimes we are the main event in their week,” notes Gaye. “We are eyes and ears to
check on wellness; clients look forward to spending some time with our caregivers who
provide warm, empathetic support which enables them to maintain their standard of
living and avoid homelessness.”

Because of this hands-on role, GEM is well positioned to observe when additional
resources might be necessary to ensure an individual is receiving appropriate care. In
these instances, GEM will liaise with the City of Ottawa’s case coordinators who will
then look after securing the necessary referrals for additional assessment and/or
support.

GEM is ideally suited to this longstanding relationship with the City of Ottawa as it is
able to leverage decades of experience providing care to individuals with physical,
mental and emotional impairments. In addition, GEM’s dedicated office coordinator
overseeing the program has exemplary skills in managing the clients and scheduling
staff.

“This partnership with the city is something we are honoured to have,” adds Gaye. “It’s
about giving back to the community. We love making a difference and providing a better
quality of life for those who might otherwise fall through the cracks of the stretched
health and care networks.”

If you feel yourself or a family member may meet the financial eligibility requirements for
City of Ottawa Home Support Services, call 613-580-2424 x24994 (or 3-1-1) and
request a referral to GEM Health Care Services. Details regarding the program can be
found on the city’s website.

Voting in Canadian Election With National Flag Backdrop Generative AI
Advocacy, Home care, Legislation

Increased home care funding a key Ontario election issue

Voters encouraged to press candidates for their views

Now that the writ has dropped for a snap election in Ontario, key provincial and national seniors’ advocacy groups are urgently calling for the next session of the legislature to approve increased funding to ensure the growing demand for home care is addressed.

Home Care Ontario has issued an appeal for further investments that would provide over 16 million more hours of home care for seniors and their families across the province. In addition, the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) has officially endorsed Home Care Ontario’s call for further funding.  

For candidates in this election, the message is simple – it is paramount that all political parties prioritize care and supports for seniors, including significantly expanding the amount of home care available to help them stay safe and healthy at home.

Gaye Moffett, Founder, President and CEO of GEM Health Care Services, sits on the board of Home Care Ontario. “Home care wasn’t even mentioned in budgets 30 years ago but now it’s a hot button issue,” she says. “There isn’t one Ontarian that doesn’t want to stay at home as long as they can but without increased funding, home care services will be unattainable for many.”

Additional funding is required to support the ‘home first’ approach which experts agree is a win-win, improving quality of life for older adults while efficiently utilizing healthcare resources. By prioritizing home care over hospital or long-term care stays, seniors’ dignity and quality of life is preserved. The requested funding will support Home Care Ontario’s recommendations to support and grow the home care sector, which include:

• Increasing the number of visits and hours of home care provided by 10% a year for the next three years

• Investing $624 million over three years to improve compensation and help the sector attract and retain home care staff

• Providing specialized training and mentorship to retain skilled home care staff

• Enhancing the Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit and remove the existing barriers to support increased Home Care services for Ontarians.

“This is an issue that affects everyone,” notes Moffett. “Whatever stage you are at, you should be concerned about the future of home care and you need to remember that the government is not going to fully take care of you or loved ones’ financial needs as the requirement for care services increases.”

Moffett says it is her sincere hope that the next Ontario government agrees with this request for funding that has been widely endorsed. “I hope to see it get put into the next provincial budget for approval and that money begins to flow promptly, as has not always happened in the past,” she says. “We are counting on the government to do the right thing for seniors.”

Moffett and her counterparts encourage all voters to raise the issue with candidates in their provincial ridings. For more information, visit www.homenothallways.ca  or contact us at GEM Health Care Services.

Advocacy, Home care, Legislation, Long term care, Uncategorized

Why the time for a more accessible Seniors’ Tax Credit is now

Senior Couple at Home Office Reviewing Financial Documents and Consulting Tax Advisor for Retirement Planning
Senior Couple at Home Office Reviewing Financial Documents

If you or one of your loved ones is among Ontario’s over-80 population – or approaching that age – you might be interested in the current push to implement an enhanced Seniors’ Tax Credit in our province. The timing couldn’t be more urgent, given that Ontario’s 80+ population is set to double between 2023 and 2040. Properly administered, a Seniors’ Tax Credit will enable seniors to live and receive care in their homes and communities longer, saving long term care (LTC) spaces and hospital beds for those who need them most.

The call for a more accessible Seniors’ Tax Credit is backed by a group of health care, senior living, and real estate organizations in Ontario who understand the vital role it can play in our entire health care and housing continuum. This coalition of organizations is leading the charge to persuade the provincial government to implement a tax benefit that will truly work for Ontario’s seniors. Quebec’s new program serves as a valid model; thanks to its seniors’ tax credit, that province has reduced its LTC waitlist to just over 3,700 as of October 2024, versus 47,000 in Ontario.

One of the key aims is the desire to get rid of the ‘grey market’, whereby unlicensed providers are delivering some seniors’ home care services, often under the table. The legitimate organizations providing services have a powerful, united voice and agree wholeheartedly with a recent C.D. Howe Institute research paper which outlines the need for provinces to implement smart policies to address our growing senior population and economic challenges faced by some seniors. 

The 2022 Ontario budget did introduce a new refundable personal income tax credit called the Ontario Seniors Care at Home Tax Credit (OSCAH). However, the steps to qualify for OSCAH pose a challenge in that seniors must apply and be approved for a federal disability certificate in order to claim part-time attendant care in their homes as an eligible medical expense. As a result, the vast majority of home care recipients have difficulty claiming these expenses and receiving their credit. 

We all know that Ontario’s healthcare system is already stretched to the limit, and more funding alone won’t solve the capacity challenges. To sustain our healthcare system as baby boomers age, leveraging seniors’ care capacity outside of the publicly funded LTC and hospital sectors must be part of the solution. Based on current numbers, an enhanced Seniors’ Tax Credit would allow for 2400 seniors to be diverted from the LTC waitlist to be cared for in the community.

As mentioned, a more accessible tax credit will help seniors afford the necessary services that will enable them to age in the communities of their choice. It would also incentivize senior-focused development and unlock more housing units for young Ontarians who want to start families. If you agree that the time for change in Ontario is now, we encourage you to contact your local Member of Provincial Parliament and add your voice to the chorus pushing for a more accessible Seniors’ Tax Credit. For more information, please visit the Seniors’ Tax Credit website or contact us at GEM Health Care Services.

Serious curly haired woman manages household family budget calculates expenditures takes care of finances and savings sits at table with receipts dressed in domestic clothes poses at home
Advocacy, Aging in place, Family, Home care, Legislation

Why helping families pay for home care makes sense

For seniors, aging-in-place at home is the most comfortable, safe, and affordable option.

That’s why Gaye Moffett is on the board of Home Care Ontario, to work closely with other home care advocates to keep their work top of mind with every level of government.

Here’s what they’re working on right now to get families more support:

Home care co-payments and tax credits

Right now, anyone admitted to a long-term care facility only pays part of the cost. The government subsidizes the rest. 

As an alternative to moving people to a long-term care facility,  Gaye is advocating for a co-pay option to support clients at home. It’s a good investment for the government to make. With less overhead, providing care at home is more cost-effective than at a facility.

Other government incentives are also on the table, such as enhancing tax credits like the Ontario Seniors Care at Home (OSCAH) tax credit, and exempting family-funded care from sales taxes like the HST.

Raising the reputation, visibility and awareness of family-funded home care

One of the biggest challenges home care providers face is the invisibility of the work they do.

When you drive past a hospital or long-term care facility, you know there are people being cared for within those walls. It’s easy to forget that care is also being provided in people’s private homes.

Gaye and her colleagues are raising awareness by advocating for accreditation for family-funded care providers, agency licensing, an authority to over see allied health, and stronger enforcement of labour standards in the grey market to protect people from unlicensed ‘caregivers’ advertising their services on Kijiji.

Contributing to health system transformation

With health system transformation underway due to the pandemic, Gaye wants people to know how family-funded care providers are contributing to those efforts.

That’s why they’re sending educational materials to Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) about their work. 

They’re also engaging the OHTs directly to explain why enhancing home care services is a better option than creating ‘add-on’ services via retirement homes, which come with overhead costs similar to long-term care facilities.

For Gaye and her fellow advocates, investing in home care just makes sense.

GEM nurse psw 20240124 093806 0000
Home care

When do I need a nurse vs. a personal support worker?

“I need a nurse,” is what Gaye Moffett often hears when she picks up the phone.

But a nurse may not be the level of care you or your loved one needs right now to live comfortably at home for as long as possible.

So how do you know you’re getting the right level of care? 

In Ontario, the first step is to call 310-2222 (no area code required) to find the Home and Community Care Support Service provider in your area.

They’ll assign a case manager to assess your situation and determine whether you need a nurse or personal support worker. Once that’s done you can top up your eligible hours with a family-funded provider like GEM.

Here’s what to expect from the professionals who will be helping you. 

When you need a nurse

As a rule, you don’t need a nurse unless you are acutely ill or injured, or have a chronic condition that requires ongoing nursing support, like having a peg tube that needs to be cleaned regularly to prevent infection.

While there are two types of nurses — registered nurses (RNs) and registered practical nurses (RPNs) — you can rest assured that they’re all registered with the College of Nurses of Ontario. 

For the most part they carry out the same duties, but RNs are typically responsible for planning and monitoring care, while RPNs carry the plan out. 

Care plans could include administering medications, wound care, changing dressings, monitoring blood pressure, administering oxygen therapy and collecting specimens. 

When you need personal support 

Personal support workers, home support workers, and companions are the people who help you live in your home independently, while lowering the risk of illness or injury that could land you in the hospital.

Personal support workers (PSWs) are college-trained, certified professionals who help people with their activities of daily living (ADLs) like bathing and dressing. Sounds simple, but knowing how to transfer someone safely in and out of the tub with a lift requires specific training.

Home support workers (HSWs) are also certified and trained in their field, and assist in all facets of home management, including meal preparation, light housekeeping, and assistance with shopping.

Companions who work for GEM must complete the company’s training course. Sitters ensure the safety and security of a client by assisting with all levels of companionship, emotional support and activity attendance. They are able to accompany a resident to and from appointments and record information as required.

In a world where it’s clear most people want to live at home, and delivering care at home is the most cost effective option for our health system, calling on GEM to make it possible could be the option for you and your family. Call (613) 761-7474 to learn more.

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Aging in place, Family, Home care, Long term care

How to talk to your family about future planning

“The only way I’m leaving my home is in a pine box,” is what people often say when the topic of future planning is broached, no matter how sensitively or carefully.

Gaye Moffet’s response to that comment is, “Okay. Let’s plan for that.” 

Because the only way to truly safeguard our autonomy and independence as we age-in-place is to have a plan.

Fortunately there are tools we can use to make sure we’re taken care of the way we want. That said, it’s not an easy topic to broach with your family over dinner. 

Here are a few tips to be proactive when it’s time to start this difficult conversation.

Keep it practical: start with low hanging fruit

Before delving into any conversations about home care or long-term care, start by encouraging or helping your loved one choose their Powers of Attorney, including a Power of Attorney for Personal Care and a Continuing Power of Attorney for Property.

Designating a trusted person who will respect your wishes if you’re unable to make them yourself is the best way to prevent the government from stepping in and taking over. 

Inviting your loved ones to talk about Powers of Attorney can also open the door to completing other documents, like advance directives and a will.

What’s critical is keeping your loved one’s wishes at the heart of the conversation and emphasizing that writing them down will make it easier for someone else to know and respect what they want. 

Respond quickly during crucial moments

Often the first big loss of autonomy and independence comes when a doctor has to suspend a patient’s driver’s licence for safety reasons.

It’s a big blow, but it could be a chance for the family to come together to make sure their loved one will get what they need and stay engaged with the community.

It can also be the catalyst to talk about downsizing and moving closer to family, or possible to an easy-to-manage residence with the amenities they need.

And if the rest of your family isn’t engaged in future planning yet, moments like this can be a good time to pull them in so everyone is thinking about how they can help. 

Getting everyone involved will prevent caregiver burnout and possibly another crisis where your loved one’s choices are suddenly limited.

Continuing to emphasize that your loved one’s autonomy and independence is what’s most important. 

Connect and engage by listening first

While broaching the right topic at the right time is a good start, it can still be easy for emotions to get high. 

Gaye’s advice applies here as well: let’s plan for that.

Don’t forget that these are tough topics. The future we’re discussing is one where someone we love can’t live independently or worse, is no longer with us. Who wouldn’t get emotional? 

When feeling run high, we bring our own personality and ways of coping into the mix, whether it’s responding with anger, sadness, grief, or denial. These are just normal reactions to difficult situations, so don’t judge yourself or anyone else for how they’re reacting. 

Just know yourself and prepare, because what happens when we’re not grounded isn’t always pretty. We’re all capable of being patronizing, irritated, manipulative or dramatic. And it could lead us to call in reinforcements and make our loved one feel like we’re ganging up on them.

All that can be prevented by simply listening. 

Start by asking your loved one questions about what they want, then listen carefully and repeat back what was said so they know they’ve been heard before you weigh in with your own thoughts, opinions and needs. They’re important too, but your loved one needs to know they’re the one who’s in charge of what’s going to happen. You can show that by listening.

Other ways to keep the conversation constructive are:

  • using other people’s situation as an example
  • providing print materials so they have something to refer to while reflecting
  • writing down your concerns if having a conversation isn’t working
  • offering to help with research into their options
  • avoiding words like ‘a home’ or ‘nursing home’

Remember to ask for help if you need it

If you’ve tried everything and feel like you’ve hit a wall, it could be time to bring in a third-party expert who your loved one will trust to be neutral and provide straightforward, helpful information.

Gaye Moffett has been advising families with care planning for decades and has likely heard a story similar to yours.

You can get in touch with Gaye by calling 613-761-7474 in Ottawa or in 905-836-6999 in GTA.

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Advocacy, Home care, Legislation, Safety

Critical legislation changes just made home care safer in Ontario

Critical legislation changes just made home care safer in Ontario">

As the founder of GEM Health Care Services and member of the board for Home Care Ontario, Gaye Moffett does a lot of advocacy work for her clients behind the scenes.

After spending the past few years lobbying the provincial and federal governments about three key pieces of legislation to keep clients safe and lower the cost of care, she’s happy to report a recent victory.

The Government of Ontario has passed legislation requiring Temporary Help Agencies to be licensed to continue their operations. 

The eligibility criteria to be licensed is stringent to protect both employees and clients, as well as preventing the loss of tax dollars. 

“We’re certainly in favour of this legislation,” said Moffett. “It stops people from putting up a ‘fly-by-night’ temp agency on Kijiji without any oversight or regulation.”

How do you get a licence?

The bar for a Temporary Help Agency to meet the licensing criteria includes:

  • CRA business number
  • WSIB certificate
  • Liability insurance and indemnification
  • Third party quality control, eg. ISO or other relevant certification
  • Criminal background and vulnerable population checks for all staff
  • Putting $25,000 in escrow to cover wages in the event of bankruptcy
  • Application fee of $750

How does this legislation help?

While the legislation protects temporary employees from unfair wages and exploitation in any industry or sector, it’s especially important for home care staffing agencies.

“Our clients are vulnerable and working conditions for our employees can be precarious due to the unpredictable nature of the work,” said Moffett. “They need a staffing agency that knows how to conduct a care assessment so that clients are getting what they need, and staff are being matched to the right clients on a consistent basis.”

Some online home care staffing agencies that call themselves a “matching platform” claim to lower costs by “avoiding overhead” (such as care assessment conducted by a licensed health care practitioner). 

These outfits will also need to apply for a licence before January 1, 2024 and meet the same criteria or face stiff penalties. The government started accepting applications in July, 2023.

“While temporary help agencies are vital to Ontario’s businesses and jobseekers looking to get their foot in the door, for too long they have operated in a grey zone that allows criminals to prey on vulnerable workers,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “Our government’s licensing system will ensure law-abiding businesses can have confidence in the THAs and recruiters they work with and that those who abuse workers face the harshest fines in Canada and are banned from operating in our province.”

How will it be enforced?

Penalties for contravening the act will be stiff, ranging from $15,000 for a first offense, to $25,000 for a second offense within three years of the first, and $50,000 for a third offense within the same three year period.

Officers will be looking for these contraventions:

  • operating as a temporary help agency without a licence
  • acting as a recruiter without a licence
  • clients knowingly using an unlicensed temporary help agency, or
  • employers, prospective employers or other recruiters knowingly engaging or using the services of an unlicensed recruiter

And if you’re wondering whether the staffing agency that’s sending your home care worker is licensed, you’ll be able to check with an online search of the government’s database.

Check out our other “Buyer Beware” posts for more tips on screening your caregivers for safety and security, as well as their qualifications.

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Home care, Safety, Security

Four safety and security questions to ask before welcoming a home care professional into your home

Four safety and security questions to ask before welcoming a home care professional into your home">

We’re continuing our “buyer beware” series to talk about another critical topic: safety and security. 

Any credible home care provider conducts a thorough background check on every service provider they hire, but there are other details to consider. The four questions below will cover those bases.

As always, look for concrete answers in addition to noting the tone and tenor of their response, because anyone who sounds defensive or offended by questions about safety and security is also waving that big red “buyer beware” flag. 

1.Are your home care workers contractors or employees?

This is one of the most important questions to ask, because it potentially affects clients in two ways.

The first is financial. Employers are required by law to deduct taxes, EI and CPP from their staff’s salary. But contractors are responsible for handling these details themselves. 

If the CRA audits a contract worker and finds they haven’t declared all their income, they could target the client to recoup any taxes owing.

The second is liability. Contract workers should carry their own malpractice and workplace insurance, but many don’t due to the cost. Employers on the other hand are mandated to carry this insurance.

If you’re using an online matching service to find home care workers at a lower cost, be sure to ask if their staff are contractors or employees. 

2.If the caregiver I’m assigned isn’t a good fit or I’m mistreated, how will you find a better match?

What online matching services may fail to mention is that when you hire one of their home care workers, you have technically become an employer. 

That means any issues that may arise, whether it’s just a bad fit personally, discovering their skills aren’t up to snuff, or if you’re outright abused, is a problem you’ll have to solve on your own. 

So the answer to this question reveals whether they hold themselves accountable for the staff on their roster.  If you find yourself left in the lurch you’ll have to do all the work to handle the problem as well as starting at square one to find someone new.

Licensed home care agencies that employ full-time staff are less likely to hire problem staff in the first place because they’re accountable if a problem arises and they have a management team in place to respond.

3.Does your company conduct criminal record and vulnerable sector background checks for all the staff on your roster? 

The biggest safety risk is of course knowing your worker is who they say they are and hasn’t committed a crime.

There are many kinds of background checks that find this information. Ask your provider if they conduct vulnerable sector background checks on all their staff. 

4.Are your caregivers vaccinated?

While the worst of the pandemic is over, contracting COVID or some other virus will always be a concern for those with a vulnerable health status. 

If you believe you’ll be at risk, you have every right to ask this question to ensure your safety. GEM requires three COVID vaccinations for all their staff.

In addition to these questions, starting with a care plan assessment conducted by a nurse or care coordinator is a preventative measure. 

There’s nothing less safe than missing a service that could prevent a fall, fire, or some other accident that makes it impossible to stay where you’re most comfortable: at home.