Choosing a home care agency comes down to fifteen questions across five areas: legitimacy, caregiver quality, oversight, scheduling and cost, and fit. Ask them all, in one call or one visit, and the difference between agencies becomes obvious fast. The stakes justify the interview: this person will be alone in your parent's home, and the agency's systems, not its brochure, decide what happens on the hard days.
What are the 15 questions?
| Area | Ask this | You want to hear |
|---|---|---|
| Legitimacy | 1. Who runs the agency, and how long have you served this area? | Named local leadership and an established track record |
| 2. Are you bonded and insured? | Yes, with proof offered | |
| 3. What background checks do you run? | Criminal, references, driving record, before hire | |
| Caregiver quality | 4. How are caregivers trained, and in what? | Formal initial and ongoing training, dementia included |
| 5. How do you match caregivers to clients? | Personality and interests, not just availability | |
| 6. Can we meet the caregiver before care starts? | Yes, a meet-and-greet is standard | |
| Oversight | 7. Who supervises the care plan? | A named coordinator who visits and updates it |
| 8. How do families see what happens in visits? | Real-time notes or a family portal | |
| 9. What happens if the caregiver calls in sick? | A clear plan to cover the shift, not a canceled visit | |
| Cost and scheduling | 10. What is the all-in hourly rate and what does it include? | One number, premiums and fees disclosed |
| 11. What are the minimum hours and cancellation terms? | Clear minimum, no long-term contract required | |
| 12. How fast can care start? | Days, not weeks | |
| Fit | 13. What if the match is not working? | Fast, guilt-free rematching |
| 14. Can care scale up as needs change? | Companion to personal to 24-hour, same agency | |
| 15. Can you provide references? | Yes, current client families |
Which red flags should end the conversation?
A rate far below market with no explanation of what it leaves out. No answer for sick-day coverage. Pressure to sign a long contract before an in-home assessment. Vagueness about background checks or insurance. And any agency that quotes a price without asking a single question about your parent, because a care plan built without an assessment is a schedule, not care. Cost context that separates fair pricing from suspicious pricing is in our home care cost guide.
How do you compare agencies fairly?
Run the same fifteen questions past two or three agencies and score them side by side. Weight the questions that predict the bad days: sick-day coverage, supervision, and rematching, because every agency looks identical on a good day. Then let your parent meet the proposed caregiver before deciding, since their comfort is the metric that matters. Check reviews for patterns rather than one-offs, and confirm the agency actually serves your city with real staff: coverage promised across the whole Valley sometimes means a two-hour response time to Buckeye. Our guide to the signs a parent needs care helps you size the care plan you are shopping for.
How does Ativo answer the 15 questions?
Happily, and in writing. Background-checked, bonded, and insured caregivers. Training to senior-living standards through the Ativo Senior Living family, personality-based matching with a meet-and-greet, and fast rematching if the chemistry is off. Supervised care plans and the Care Concierge family portal for real-time visit visibility. One all-inclusive rate, $38 an hour, with a full continuum of care behind it: companion care, personal care, memory support, and a path into Ativo assisted living that never requires starting over. Care typically starts within 24 to 48 hours across Buckeye and the West Valley. Call 623-264-4622 and interview us with the whole list.
