A Clear Guide for Families
How to choose a home care agency in Miami
Choosing care for a parent is a big decision, and the agencies can start to look alike. Here are the questions that actually separate a safe choice from a risky one, plus the red flags to walk away from.
The short answer
The best home care agency is the one that puts a nurse on your parent's care, employs its caregivers directly, and sends the same trusted person every visit. Those three things separate real care from a staffing app.
Everything else follows from them. Below is the full checklist to work through with any agency you're considering, so you can compare them on what matters instead of on a glossy brochure.
7 questions to ask any home care agency
Ask every agency these. The answers tell you more than any sales pitch.
Who supervises the care?
A registered nurse who builds the plan and checks in beats a phone coordinator. Ask if an RN is involved after the sale, not just during it.
Are caregivers W-2 employees or contractors?
A W-2 employee means the agency handles taxes, insurance, background checks, and liability. A 1099 contractor can leave you legally responsible.
Are they licensed and insured?
In Florida, agencies are licensed by AHCA. Ask for the license number, and ask whether caregivers are bonded and insured.
Will my parent get the same caregiver?
Continuity builds trust and catches small changes early. A rotating roster means starting over with a stranger every visit.
What happens if a caregiver is sick or quits?
A good agency guarantees backup coverage. A solo aide has none, and the gap lands on you.
How are caregivers screened and trained?
Ask about background checks, training, and whether someone assesses your parent's specific needs before care starts.
How fast can care start, and what does it cost?
A responsive agency moves in days. On cost, be wary of a flat quote over the phone. A real number needs a look at your parent first.
Red flags to walk away from
- A flat price quoted over the phone, before anyone has seen your parent
- No nurse involved, only a scheduler or an app
- Caregivers who are 1099 contractors, or a push to hire someone privately
- No clear answer on backup coverage when a caregiver is out
- A different caregiver every visit, with no continuity
- No Florida license number, or vague answers about insurance
Green flags to look for
A nurse who assesses your parent before care begins, and stays involved after.
W-2 caregivers, screened and insured, matched to your parent.
A written care plan, a clear license number, and a straight answer on backup coverage.
The same caregiver each visit, and a real person on the phone at any hour.
How allaround measures up
We built allaround around this exact checklist.
An RN Care Manager writes and supervises every plan and works the full first shift. Every caregiver is a W-2 employee, screened, trained, insured, and bilingual. Your parent gets the same person each visit, with guaranteed backup coverage.
We're Florida licensed (#299996493), and a real person answers the phone 24/7.
See for yourself, free
The clearest way to judge an agency is to watch how it handles the first visit.
Our RN comes to the home within 24 hours, assesses your parent, and leaves you a written plan. No obligation to hire us.
Related: home care vs home health care, and what home care costs in Miami.
Questions families ask
What's the most important question to ask a home care agency?
Who supervises the care. A nurse who builds the plan and checks in beats a coordinator you only reach by phone. At allaround, an RN Care Manager writes and oversees every plan, and works the full first shift.
Are the caregivers employees or contractors?
This matters more than families expect. A W-2 employee means the agency handles taxes, insurance, background checks, and liability. A 1099 contractor or a private hire can leave you legally on the hook. Every allaround caregiver is a W-2 employee, screened and insured.
What happens if my caregiver is sick or quits?
Ask this before you sign anything. A solo private aide has no backup, so you scramble. A real agency guarantees coverage. allaround sends a trained replacement so your parent is never left without care.
Should the agency be licensed?
Yes. In Florida, home care agencies are licensed by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). A license means oversight and accountability. allaround holds AHCA License #299996493 and is fully insured.
Will my parent have the same caregiver each time?
Continuity is one of the biggest differences between agencies. A rotating roster means your parent starts over with a stranger every visit. allaround matches one caregiver and sends the same person, so trust has time to build.
How fast can a good agency start?
A responsive agency moves in days, not weeks. allaround sends an RN to the home within 24 hours of your call, and a matched caregiver begins within 48 hours of that visit.
Judge us by the first visit
An RN comes to the home within 24 hours and leaves you a written care plan. Free, no obligation. It's the clearest way to see the difference for yourself.