• Understand your rights, as well as the agency's written Description of Services and Plan of Care.
• Find out who the person in charge is and how to make contact when you want to. Let the person know who else he or she can talk with about your care.
• Ask if the agency has volunteers to provide respite care (a break for family caregivers).
• Provide the agency with a copy of your Advance Directives.
• Give the agency a list of your allergies, medications, health problems, preferred hospital, family contacts, medical contacts and emergency contact.
• If you can't oversee the agency personnel, ask a family member or friend to do it for you. If no one is available, you can hire a geriatric care manager to do the job.
• Do what you can to protect your personal property and avoid billing fraud.
• Make good use of the person assigned by the agency to provide your medical/social services (usually a social worker or nurse).
• Maximize use of home health aides.
• Make written notes when service isn't what you expect. Complain if you don't get what you want.
• If complaining doesn't work, change agencies.

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