<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167897405627129322</id><updated>2011-08-04T06:39:03.780-04:00</updated><category term='how to choose home care agency'/><category term='Home care agency'/><title type='text'>First Care of New York, Inc.</title><subtitle type='html'>First-Care of New York Inc. is a New York State Home Care Service agency licensed by the New York State Department of Health and we are accredited with the gold seal of approval by the Joint Commission. We provide services to the: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County.</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://firstcareofny.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://firstcareofny.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>First Care of New York, Inc.</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='13' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3oB5_Wan61k/Sila1VLeUiI/AAAAAAAAABI/TA1VL67weVY/S220/1stcare_logo.gif'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>9</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167897405627129322.post-2974145191258583286</id><published>2010-06-21T10:09:00.001-04:00</published><updated>2010-08-20T07:13:12.399-04:00</updated><title type='text'>2010 Summer Picnic</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://www.1st-care.org/"&gt;First Care of New York&lt;/a&gt; had its Annual Picnic outing on June 12th, 2010!!! Members of the First Care family got together for a wonderful afternoon of events, games, food and wholesome fun. Over 100 employees and staff that help bring you the best in &lt;a href="http://www.1st-care.org/first_care_services.asp"&gt;Homecare Services&lt;/a&gt; , including our Live in Care, Personal Care and Home Health Aide services, and more were on hand to celebrate the positive difference that we have made to our communities. On Sunday, June 27th 2009 is our Annual Cancer 5K Walk/Run.&amp;nbsp; We are excited as a leader in the Homecare Industry to be a part of this event to promote Cancer awareness. You too can participate in the HOPE &amp;amp; Possibility Event by visiting http://www.firstgiving.com/firstcare2010 and lend your hand to support the Fight against Cancer. This week First Care of New York will be part of the South Bronx Clinic Health Fair at 781 E. 142 St. on the corner of Wells St. Our representatives will be there to help you and guide you through the process of obtaining &lt;a href="http://www.1st-care.org/first_care_requestingservices.asp"&gt;Homecare services&lt;/a&gt;. We will be answering every question on subjects like Daily Living, Companionship, Live In Care and more.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6167897405627129322-2974145191258583286?l=firstcareofny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/2974145191258583286'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/2974145191258583286'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://firstcareofny.blogspot.com/2010/06/2010-summer-picnic.html' title='2010 Summer Picnic'/><author><name>First Care of New York, Inc.</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='13' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3oB5_Wan61k/Sila1VLeUiI/AAAAAAAAABI/TA1VL67weVY/S220/1stcare_logo.gif'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167897405627129322.post-5986565161178664384</id><published>2010-02-19T11:42:00.004-05:00</published><updated>2010-08-20T07:13:48.583-04:00</updated><title type='text'>2nd Annual Hope and Possibility Fund Raiser for the "Fight Against Cancer"</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://www.1st-care.org/"&gt;First Care of New York&lt;/a&gt; is taking part in it's second annual "Hope &amp;amp; Possibility 5M" run / walk on June 27, 2010 at Central Park, New York to raise money for the "Fight Against Cancer". All donations will be greatly appreciated. You can donate money by visiting our Firstgiving page at http://www.firstgiving.com/firstcare2010. You can donate online with a credit card. All donations are secure and sent directly to Achilles Track Club by Firstgiving, who will email you a printable record of your donation.&lt;br /&gt;Thanks for all of your support.&lt;br /&gt;Regards&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://1st-care.org/"&gt;First Care of New York, Inc.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6167897405627129322-5986565161178664384?l=firstcareofny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/5986565161178664384'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/5986565161178664384'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://firstcareofny.blogspot.com/2010/02/2nd-annual-hope-and-possibility-fund.html' title='&lt;strong&gt;2nd Annual Hope and Possibility Fund Raiser for the &quot;Fight Against Cancer&quot;&lt;/strong&gt;'/><author><name>First Care of New York, Inc.</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='13' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3oB5_Wan61k/Sila1VLeUiI/AAAAAAAAABI/TA1VL67weVY/S220/1stcare_logo.gif'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167897405627129322.post-29062405670628876</id><published>2010-02-09T10:34:00.001-05:00</published><updated>2010-05-26T02:47:52.217-04:00</updated><title type='text'>CCM Awards First Care employee - 2009 Aide of the year award</title><content type='html'>February 3, 2010&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Gertrude Hichez&lt;br /&gt;First Care&lt;br /&gt;2488 Grand Concourse, #332&lt;br /&gt;Bronx, NY 10453&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Attn: Ms. Carmen Martinez-Paulino&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dear Ms. Martinez-Paulino:&lt;br /&gt;Each year, the staff of CCM nominates &lt;a href="http://www.1st-care.org/first_care_employmentopportunities.asp"&gt;home health Aides&lt;/a&gt; and personal care workers who have made an outstanding contribution by providing extraordinary care to our participants. It is my pleasure to inform you that you are on of this year's recipients of our Aide of the Year Award for your extraordinary care and leadership.&lt;br /&gt;YOU will soon receive a formal invitation for you and your family to attend an award ceremony on January 28, 2010, at 11 :00 A.M. at the CCM site at 216 East 99th Street. At this ceremony, we will like to publicly acknowledge your hard work and commitment to our participants.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On behalf of CCM administration, I want to thank you for your care, concern and commitment to this program. Sincerely,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eileen C. O'Brien Site Director&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6167897405627129322-29062405670628876?l=firstcareofny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/29062405670628876'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/29062405670628876'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://firstcareofny.blogspot.com/2010/02/ccm-awards-first-care-employee-2009.html' title='CCM Awards First Care employee - 2009 Aide of the year award'/><author><name>First Care of New York, Inc.</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='13' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3oB5_Wan61k/Sila1VLeUiI/AAAAAAAAABI/TA1VL67weVY/S220/1stcare_logo.gif'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167897405627129322.post-6887204923677116529</id><published>2010-01-07T10:55:00.003-05:00</published><updated>2010-05-26T02:50:31.040-04:00</updated><title type='text'>February 2010 - Queens Office - Grand Opening</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://www.1st-care.org/"&gt;First Care of New York Inc&lt;/a&gt;. is proud to announce the opening of our new recruitment office at 91-31 Queens Blvd., Suite # 409 Elmhurst, NY 11373.  Immediate job placement is available in Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6167897405627129322-6887204923677116529?l=firstcareofny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/6887204923677116529'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/6887204923677116529'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://firstcareofny.blogspot.com/2010/01/february-2010-queens-office-grand.html' title='February 2010 - Queens Office - Grand Opening'/><author><name>First Care of New York, Inc.</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='13' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3oB5_Wan61k/Sila1VLeUiI/AAAAAAAAABI/TA1VL67weVY/S220/1stcare_logo.gif'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167897405627129322.post-6624514248154091925</id><published>2009-10-01T13:29:00.006-04:00</published><updated>2009-10-01T13:40:41.174-04:00</updated><title type='text'>First-Care Management Educates the Youth</title><content type='html'>First-Care Managment educates second grade class in Somers, New York on home care. Topics include: What is Home Care. Who are the potenital clients that could receive home care. Finally, how a patient is admitted to a home care agency and much more...&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6167897405627129322-6624514248154091925?l=firstcareofny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/6624514248154091925'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/6624514248154091925'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://firstcareofny.blogspot.com/2009/10/first-care-management-educates-youth.html' title='First-Care Management Educates the Youth'/><author><name>First Care of New York, Inc.</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='13' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3oB5_Wan61k/Sila1VLeUiI/AAAAAAAAABI/TA1VL67weVY/S220/1stcare_logo.gif'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167897405627129322.post-8535858767969331834</id><published>2009-06-29T12:28:00.008-04:00</published><updated>2010-05-26T02:51:20.696-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Health Fair Events</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://www.1st-care.org/"&gt;First Care of New York Inc&lt;/a&gt;., will be hosting Health Fairs at our Brooklyn Office:&lt;br /&gt;(located at 833 Flatbush Ave, On linden Blvd.)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 78%;"&gt;July 24th, 2009, Friday from 10am – 2pm&lt;br /&gt;August 8th, 2009, Saturday from 10am-2pm&lt;br /&gt;August 15th, 2009, Saturday from 10am-2pm&lt;br /&gt;August 25th, 2009, Tuesday from 10am-2pm&lt;/span&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;(For more information about the events, call 718-364-7251 and speak to our Outreach coordinator.)&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6167897405627129322-8535858767969331834?l=firstcareofny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/8535858767969331834'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/8535858767969331834'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://firstcareofny.blogspot.com/2009/06/health-fair-events_29.html' title='Health Fair Events'/><author><name>First Care of New York, Inc.</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='13' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3oB5_Wan61k/Sila1VLeUiI/AAAAAAAAABI/TA1VL67weVY/S220/1stcare_logo.gif'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167897405627129322.post-641953763649220446</id><published>2009-06-05T13:50:00.006-04:00</published><updated>2010-08-20T07:51:53.495-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Hope and Possibility 5M Walk for "Fight Against Cancer" Fundraising</title><content type='html'>First Care of New York is taking part in the "Hope &amp;amp; Possibility 5M" walk on June 28, 2009 at Central Park, New York to raise money for the "Fight Against Cancer". All donations will be greatly appreciated for the fight against cancer. You can donate money by visiting our Firstgiving page at &lt;a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/firstcareofny-millennium"&gt;www.firstgiving.com/firstcareofny-millennium&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You can donate online with a credit card. All donations are secure and sent directly to Achilles Track Club by Firstgiving, who will email you a printable record of your donation.&lt;br /&gt;Thanks for all of your support.&lt;br /&gt;Regards&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.1st-care.org/"&gt;First Care of New York, Inc&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6167897405627129322-641953763649220446?l=firstcareofny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/641953763649220446'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/641953763649220446'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://firstcareofny.blogspot.com/2009/06/hope-and-possibility-breast-cancer.html' title='Hope and Possibility 5M Walk for &quot;Fight Against Cancer&quot; Fundraising'/><author><name>First Care of New York, Inc.</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='13' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3oB5_Wan61k/Sila1VLeUiI/AAAAAAAAABI/TA1VL67weVY/S220/1stcare_logo.gif'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167897405627129322.post-2148682223022288083</id><published>2009-04-09T01:59:00.003-04:00</published><updated>2010-08-20T07:41:48.239-04:00</updated><title type='text'>Home Care Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)</title><content type='html'>&lt;h4&gt;What is home care?&lt;/h4&gt;The scope of home care is very broad, and it is much more than care for the elderly. The term "&lt;a href="http://1st-care.org/"&gt;home health care&lt;/a&gt;" is often used to refer to skilled clinical treatments such as the services of a registered nurse or physical therapist. In fact, the term "home care" is a more apt description of the range of both medical and supportive services designed to bolster the post-actue, chronically ill, disabled and elderly populations that home care providers serve.&lt;br /&gt;For many people, home care is homemaking, personal care or nutrition and hygiene and adaptive devices to prevent slips and falls. Receiving this type of assistance in the home is as important to the daily living activities of these people as sophisticated health technologies delivered at home.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h4&gt;Who needs home care?&lt;/h4&gt;A wide variety of people of any age benefit from and receive care at home. This includes those discharged from hospitals who frequently need short-term care as they recover at home. Among the older population, most prefer to remain at home as long as they can and receiving assistance with daily living activities allows them to do so for far longer than would be possible if they had no help. Younger adults who are disabled can choose care at home and generally prefer to receive care in this manner. Today's medical and technolology advances allow chronically ill children to benefit from sophisticated medical treatment in their homes. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;h4&gt;Who pays for home care services?&lt;/h4&gt;Home care services are paid for through a variety of sources, including the Federal Medicare program, private health insurance, and New York State's Medicaid home care programs. Other options include purchasing long-term care insurance and many people choose to purchase home care services privately. For more home care payment information, visit Home Care Payment Options.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h4&gt;Who do I call to get started?&lt;/h4&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"&gt;" First Care of New York, Inc.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt; - 718-364-7251 provide &lt;a href="http://1st-care.org/first_care_contactus.asp"&gt;services to Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan&lt;/a&gt;, Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County."&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;HCP recommends that you contact any of our members and review your specific situation. The agency will explain the services they offer and help you decide if they are the right agency for you. HCP member agencies all sign a statement of purpose and values pledging to "hold ourselves to the highest standards of conduct." Most are either licensed or certified by New York State and many are also accredited by independent accrediting organizations. To locate an agency that provides services in your area, visit our &lt;a href="http://www.nyshcp.org/custom/directory/provider.aspx"&gt;Find a Provider&lt;/a&gt; search directory. Most counties in New York have an Office for the Aging that can help you understand what options are available when you are looking for care for the elderly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h4&gt;How do I select the right agency?&lt;/h4&gt;Each individual situation is unique and requires an assessment based on many factors. It is most important to remember that patients and their families have choices when selecting care options. For information about choosing the right agency, visit &lt;a href="http://firstcareofny.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-to-choose-home-care-agency.html#links"&gt;How to Choose a Home Care Agency.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h4&gt;What is Hospice?&lt;/h4&gt;Hospice provides care and support for the terminally ill. The goal of Hospice is to ease the pain and suffering of these individuals so that they may live out their life lives as comfortably as possible. Hospice also offers support services for the families of the terminally ill.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6167897405627129322-2148682223022288083?l=firstcareofny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/2148682223022288083'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/2148682223022288083'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://firstcareofny.blogspot.com/2009/04/home-care-frequently-asked-questions.html' title='Home Care Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)'/><author><name>First Care of New York, Inc.</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='13' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3oB5_Wan61k/Sila1VLeUiI/AAAAAAAAABI/TA1VL67weVY/S220/1stcare_logo.gif'/></author></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6167897405627129322.post-94587297610159452</id><published>2009-04-09T01:44:00.006-04:00</published><updated>2010-08-20T07:20:15.625-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Home care agency'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='how to choose home care agency'/><title type='text'>How to Choose a Home Care Agency</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;It's your choice &lt;br /&gt;&lt;h3 style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 85%;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 85%;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 85%;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Health care situations are as different and individual as&lt;br /&gt;each person. When faced with making a health care decision for yourself or your&lt;br /&gt;loved one, it is important to remember that you have choices. Even if a medical&lt;br /&gt;professional or hospital personnel recommend institutional care, you can and&lt;br /&gt;should explore all your options. The decision about care is ultimately&lt;br /&gt;yours.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;h4&gt;Is a home care agency the right choice?&lt;/h4&gt;There are many times to consider home care, which can be the right choice for a wide range of health care services.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Patients of any age being discharged from the hospital who need short-term care to recover.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Disabled children or adults can choose to receive care at home. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Chronically ill children or adults can benefit from sophisticated medical treatment in their homes. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Older adults, disabled or chronically ill people who need both skilled care or personal care assistance to help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, cooking and shopping. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;h4&gt;Choosing hospice and palliative care &lt;/h4&gt;If someone has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, contact your local Hospice or home care agency that provides palliative care. The goal of Hospice and palliative care agencies is to ease suffering and to ensure that the person lives out his/her life as comfortably as possible. These agencies also provide essential support for families of the terminally ill.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;h4&gt;Where do I begin in selecting an agency?&lt;/h4&gt;" &lt;a href="http://1st-care.org/"&gt;First Care of New York, Inc.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 100%;"&gt; provide services to Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island and Westchester County."&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It can seem intimidating to begin searching for an agency, but knowing how to begin can make the process much easier. Here are some simple steps to follow when searching for an agency.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Gather all the information you can about the person in need of care including existing care, previous care, and any pertinent information about the existing situation. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Contact one or more home care agencies near where the person lives or where you want to care to be given. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;HCP has many member agencies that are highly qualified and can provide a wide range of services. You can use HCP's &lt;a href="http://www.nyshcp.org/custom/directory/provider.aspx"&gt;Find a Provider&lt;/a&gt; search function to help you find an agency in the area where care is needed. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 100%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 100%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Discuss the situation with each of the agencies so that you understand what your options are. Each agency should help you determine what type of care or treatment the person needs based on the situation, your family circumstances, and they will provide a nursing assessment, if appropriate. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;They should also be able to tell you about any government services or programs that fit your situation. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;They should be able to refer you to any appropriate program or service that you may need. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Based on your conversation, you should be able to determine which agency best meets your needs. Contact them to make the appropriate arrangements for care. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;h4&gt;Some questions to ask an agency &lt;/h4&gt;Although each health care situation is different and it is important to discuss your particular circumstances with each agency, there are questions you can ask each of the agencies.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;How long has the agency been in operation? &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Is the agency licensed, certified, or another type of agency? &lt;/li&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;What counties does it serve? &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;What types of services does the agency provide? &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Is the agency accredited? Professional accrediting means that an agency has met established standards set by the NYS Department of Health. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Will the agency provide you with written brochures or materials describing its services, fees, policies and procedures? &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Are services available on the weekends and at night? &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;What is the role of the family in the care? &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How does the agency handle emergency situations? &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Will the agency do an in-person assessment of the patient, and if so, when &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6167897405627129322-94587297610159452?l=firstcareofny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/94587297610159452'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6167897405627129322/posts/default/94587297610159452'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://firstcareofny.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-to-choose-home-care-agency.html' title='How to Choose a Home Care Agency'/><author><name>First Care of New York, Inc.</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='13' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3oB5_Wan61k/Sila1VLeUiI/AAAAAAAAABI/TA1VL67weVY/S220/1stcare_logo.gif'/></author></entry></feed>
