The following is a true story.
60 something year old woman with MS needs home health after a bad exacerbation of the disease. Hires local, not-for-profit home health care agency to come in and provide services.
For $21 an hour (do the math – that is expensive) home health sends various “personal care assistants” out to the house to help patient with transfers, meals, bathing, etc.
Personal care assistant is not a nurse. Not even a CNA. She may have 4 weeks of training.
Personal care assistant is late all the time because of car problems.
Patient feels sad for personal care assistant, gives her money to fix car. Next day, she doesn’t show up.
Daughter of patient is concerned when she finds out about cash / car and absence. Asks home health care company for aide’s full name.
For a small price, on the Internet, daughter does a background search and finds out Aide is a big time felon. Drug dealing, bad checks, you name it. She had gotten out of jail probably a few weeks before she showed up at Mom’s house.
Call home health care agency and tell them about the problem.
“but we did a background search” they tell her.
Problem is, the search was only for one state… and her felony record was a few states away.
Even felons are smart enough to lie on their applications and move.
Families – home health care comes with inherent risks, including, strangers in your home.
Please do your homework. I know my family learned this lesson the hard way!