You can hire a nurse privately or through an agency.
If you need to hire a nurse for home health care in Savannah, Ga., you can do so privately or through a home health care agency. Most agencies and some private nurses will require a doctor's order for medical home health care. Your insurance company may also require this type of order.
Instructions
1. Discuss home health care needs with the patient's doctor. Whether you need to hire a nurse for short-term care, such as post-surgical care, or on a longer-term basis, the doctor will help you understand exactly the kind of care you need so you can seek a nurse who meets those qualifications. Even if you don't specifically need a formal doctor's order for home medical care for insurance or hiring purposes, ask your physician to review his or her recommendations in detail with you and put it in writing.
2. Seek nurse recommendations. Some Savannah-based home health care agencies, such as THA's Island Home Care Group, have relationships with physicians and hospitals who have used their services in the past, and the doctor or hospital discharge department can refer you to them. Also ask friends and family members for any recommendations they may have about good nurses or good nursing agencies. Word-of-mouth recommendations can be a particularly good way to find qualified private nurses.
3. Shop around to determine the going rate in Savannah for nurses if you are footing all or part of the bill. Use the phone book to locate and call a few of the nursing agencies in Savannah to ask about their rates for the kind of care you need. Check classified ads for nurses advertising their services to see what they charge. These steps will help you figure out fair rates. As a general rule of thumb, according to Care Pathways, expect agencies to be more expensive than private nurses.
4. Interview candidates and check backgrounds if hiring privately. Discuss their past work experience, explain the kind of care required and request references. Care Pathways suggests insisting on references from past employers rather than personal references so you can get a clear picture of their care style. Conduct a background check using the Savannah Public Records Search website. Verify nursing licenses on the Georgia Board of Nursing website. If you hire through an agency, it will handle all of these responsibilities for you and will assign a nurse.
5. Hire your nurse. Home health agencies each have their own systems for completing a hiring, so you will need to fill out their required paperwork and provide any documentation, such as a medical order from a doctor. Privately, create a written agreement detailing what you expect from the nurse, the pay and hours of work, pay schedule and other information upon which you have agreed, such as your right to terminate them. Home health care agencies will handle wages and taxes for you. Privately, use IRS Publication 926 to determine your tax liability when you hire a home health care nurse.
Tags: health care, home health care, hire nurse, home health, kind care, private nurses, care agencies
