Topics That Are Important To Cover When You're Interviewing A Home Health Nurse

When you start to grow concerned that your aging parent is reaching the point at which he or she should no longer live independently, it's important to begin the process of hiring a home health nurse, from a company like First In Care Home Health Agency Inc. This is an ideal route to take because, unlike moving your parent to a care facility, he or she will get to remain at home -- but with top-notch care always within reach. When you've identified some home health agencies in your community that provide nurses, it's ideal to visit a few so that you can interview the personnel to ensure a good match with your parent. Here are three valuable topics to cover during the interview.

How Have You Dealt With A Recent Medical Emergency?

One of the reasons you're hiring a home health nurse is to have someone on hand in case your parent has a medical emergency, so it's ideal to learn how the nurse handled a similar situation in the past. Home health nurses have the training to manage such high-stress situations, but you want to hear how the person remained calm, provided the necessary first aid, notified the authorities and reached out to the patient's family contact right away. Hearing a description of this scenario and how the nurse handled everything can quickly instill confidence that you're speaking to the right person for the job.

Who Is Your Backup?

Realistically, there are times at which the home health nurse that you hire won't be able to work due to illness or even a scheduled vacation. In these cases, it's important to know who will be entering your parent's home and providing care. Ask to have this backup person identified and schedule a meeting with her or him. While you should be confident in the person's credentials if you're visiting an accredited health agency, it's always important that the person's personality and overall demeanor will suit your parent. Covering this topic right away helps you avoid having to rush to get it done in the future.

What Services Don't You Provide?

While you'll spend much of the interview talking about the services that the home nurse can provide your parent, it's equally important to gain an understanding of what isn't in the person's job description. For example, the nurse might help your parent get bathed and dressed and also handle laundry, but not prepare meals. By understanding these elements right off the bat, you'll know if you need to drop in on your parent for certain duties or hire a home health aide to complement the care provided by the nurse.

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