Selecting a carer or care services provider for yourself or for a loved one can be a challenge. If you have never required care support before, you might not even know where to begin. We’re here to help.
At St John’s Community Care, we have assisted thousands of people to find Queensland care services that meet their unique needs. For more information about our aged care services, disability care services and in home care services, browse our website or contact our friendly team today.
- Research is the way to get started.
Often, the hardest part can be getting started. We recommend beginning your search on an online search engine like Google. This may help to give you a brief overview of the major care aged care or disability care providers in your area. You might also benefit from talking to friends and family to see if they have any advice or recommendations. Browsing websites, downloading or acquiring brochures, and reading testimonials will be helpful as you start to select a few favourites.
- Meet with the person or organisation.
While a conversation over the phone is a great start (this will give you an opportunity to eliminate any organisations that are outside of your budget or needs), it is important that you meet your carer in person before proceeding with any programs or agreements.
Some of the questions you might like to ask the organisation include:
- The pricing of care services and programs
- The types of services provided
- Whether there will be continuity of carers
- The hours and availability of carers/services
- How long the organisation has been operating and the current number of clients
Some of the questions you might like to ask yourself include:
- Does this disability/aged care organisation make you feel comfortable?
- Are you satisfied travelling to their facility? (Or are they able to provide in home support?)
- Was the carer able to answer your queries positively?
- Be patient.
There may be hundreds of care service providers in your area, so it could take some time to sift through the bunch. Rushing your decision and selecting a poor carer may do more harm than good, so rest assured that you will find the perfect Queensland carer for your needs eventually.
- Consider whether their services will meet your needs.
Everybody is different and will require varying degrees of support. Not only should you consider the level of care that you need now, but you also need to consider the types of care that you may need in the future (this is particularly true for aged care). Choosing a comprehensive care provider now will avoid having to change carers down the line.
- Ensure the facility or professional is accredited.
Finally, it is essential that you understand the accreditation of the aged care services provider or disability carer. In Australia, you may choose to check the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission website to uncover what exact details you should be looking for.
