Choosing a 24-hour care provider in Memphis requires more vetting than standard home care — overnight oversight, RN supervision, caregiver consistency across shifts, and Tennessee-specific licensing all matter when care never stops. Twelve specific questions surface the right agency in two phone calls.
Section A — Licensing and insurance (questions 1–3)
- What’s your Tennessee home care license number, and where do I verify it on the the Tennessee Department of Health, Health Care Facilities Division’s site?
- Can you provide a current certificate of insurance — general liability, professional liability, and workers’ compensation?
- How long have you operated 24-hour care in the Memphis area?
Section B — Supervision and clinical oversight (questions 4–6)
- Who is the RN supervisor on my parent’s case, and how often do they visit in person?
- What’s your overnight on-call RN coverage when issues arise?
- What’s your protocol for medical emergencies — when do caregivers call 911 vs the on-call RN?
Section C — Consistency across 24-hour shifts (questions 7–9)
- How many primary caregivers will cover my parent’s 24-hour schedule? (Aim for 4–6 named caregivers, not random pool.)
- What percentage of shifts use the same primary caregivers (vs random rotations)? Aim for 70%+.
- What’s the protocol when a caregiver calls out — backup caregiver named, response time?
Section D — Pricing and contracts (questions 10–12)
- What’s the all-in 24-hour rate, and what’s NOT included? (Mileage, weekend/overnight/holiday premiums, RN supervision visits are common add-ons.)
- What’s the minimum commitment, and what’s the cancellation/termination policy?
- Can I see a sample 24-hour care contract before any commitment?
Five red flags for Memphis 24-hour agencies
- No RN supervision or vague supervision frequency
- Rotating caregivers with low consistency percentages
- No 24-hour on-call line answered by a real person
- Won’t share license number or insurance certificate
- Pressure to sign on the first call
Any one is a yellow flag; two together is reason to keep shopping past the agency.
A free 30-minute call with a senior care advisor walks through interviewing 2–3 Memphis-area 24-hour agencies using this exact framework. Talk to a 24HomeCareNearMe advisor when you’re ready.
