It’s highly likely you have some questions for us that you would like to be addressed. We invite you to contact us directly to learn more about what we can do for you and your loved one. More information for doing so can be found on the Contact Us page of this website.
In the meantime, the following are some of the more common questions potential clients frequently ask. The information here may address some of your own questions right now:
The process typically begins when you reach out to us. We’ll schedule an initial consultation to discuss your specific needs.
During this consultation, we’ll want to learn precisely what your loved one’s needs are, and what type of assistance you would like us to provide. This allows us to select the right caregivers. We may also discuss the cost of care at this time, depending on what stage in the process we end up reaching. Additionally, this initial consultation provides you with the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. Just keep in mind, if any more questions arise in the future, you can certainly reach out to us again for more information. We’ll be happy to provide the answers you need.
We’ll initially coordinate with you to determine how home care is going to be offered. Together, we will decide what types of assistance your loved one’s caregiver will provide, and how often they will provide it. This allows you to relax, knowing that your loved one is receiving the proper care according to a consistent schedule.
That said, we also understand that circumstances can change for a wide variety of reasons. For instance, perhaps when you initially contacted us to schedule care, you lived relatively far away from your loved one, and were thus unable to provide them with regular care yourself. However, if you end up moving closer, it’s possible you won’t need our help as often as you initially did. This may also occur if the condition of a client struggling with a chronic illness begins to substantially improve. On the other hand, if your loved one’s condition deteriorates, they may require a greater degree of care than they did when you first contacted our team.
We know that this can often happen. That’s why we allow you to make necessary adjustments to your plan/agreement as you see fit. If you aren’t satisfied with the caregiver we select for your loved one, we will also be happy to work with you to ensure your concerns are properly addressed, even if this means choosing a new caregiver.
You likely want to know your loved one will receive home care that remains as consistent in quality and timing as possible. This is also key to them developing a positive relationship with their caregiver. For example, as our Services page mentions, our caregivers often serve as a source of emotional support for clients. It’s of course much easier for our clients to feel that they can confide in their caregivers if their caregiver is the same person every time they meet with them.
Thus, we work hard to provide such consistency. We want your loved one to receive assistance from the same caregiver whenever feasible. That said, it’s also important to keep in mind that your loved one’s caregiver may not always be available for a variety of reasons. They might get ill themselves, or unexpected personal circumstances may arise that prevent them from being able to work for a period of time.
Your loved one of course can’t stop receiving necessary home care when these situations arise. To guard against any interruptions, we make sure multiple caregivers are on hand to serve their needs. Although consistency is valuable, when a particular caregiver is not available, you need to know someone else can step into their shoes.
We also appreciate the fact that you might not wish for us to assign a random caregiver to your loved one’s case when their primary caregiver is ill, away, or otherwise unable to address your loved one’s needs for any reason at any time. We thus take all necessary steps to ensure you have opportunities to consult with us before a replacement caregiver is selected. That said, our main goal is to ensure our clients always receive the necessary assistance according to the necessary schedule. We will never permit your loved one to be in any danger simply because you didn’t have a chance to discuss their substitute caregiver with us. Fortunately, because we strive to facilitate open communication between you and our team, it’s highly unlikely you won’t have the chance to discuss this topic.
We thoroughly and rigorously screen all our candidates before offering them caregiver positions. This involves researching their backgrounds to ensure they do not have criminal histories or other past issues that may disqualify them from providing your loved one with adequate care. Additionally, we confirm that they have the necessary qualifications to perform their duties according to our very high standards of excellence. As always, our team will also be happy to answer your questions about our caregivers, to the extent that doing so doesn’t violate their own privacy. On top of that, our caregivers are bonded and insured to the necessary degree, protecting you against any liability.
It’s not always easy to immediately determine when someone you care about needs assistance from a home care service. Sometimes, yes, the situation may be obvious. If a loved one’s mobility or general ability to care for themselves has been substantially and suddenly impacted by an illness, chronic condition, or injury, it may be fairly clear that you need to coordinate with a home care provider to ensure their safety and quality of life are not put at risk.
However, there are also instances when you may not be entirely certain if taking this step is necessary at the time. This is particularly common when the loved one in question is elderly. As they grow older, their ability to care for themselves may diminish at a relatively gradual pace. You thus need to pay attention to certain signs indicating now is the time to arrange for in-home assistance.
Pay attention to key factors every time you visit your loved one. For example, if they are beginning to lose the ability to take care of themselves, you might notice that their home is no longer as tidy as it once was. This could indicate they are not keeping up with chores, either because they are no longer physically able to, or because they are forgetting to as a result of cognitive decline.
Check their kitchen during visits. Does it appear they have enough groceries to keep themselves fed? Are the groceries they do have sufficient for their nutritional needs? A person who generally used to cook nutritious meals for themselves may start to rely primarily on frozen meals when their abilities to attend to their own needs begin to decline. Of course, if you notice signs of substantial weight loss, this is another sign that you need to enlist the help of a caregiver.
Personal hygiene problems also indicate the need for home care. Don’t overlook the importance of this issue. A loved one who neglects their personal hygiene could end up developing health problems that will require further treatment. You want to guard against this, stopping minor issues in their tracks before they develop into more significant problems. A caregiver can offer assistance in this capacity.
You likely also understand the importance of monitoring your loved one’s cognitive abilities. Do they seem to be experiencing memory difficulties? Do they have trouble focusing on the same topic long enough to sustain a conversation? When you are spending time with them, do they ask the same questions or make the same remarks multiple times in a relatively short span of time? Do they frequently forget basic names and details that they should remember? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, begin looking into homecare options sooner rather than later.
Finally, be sure to pay attention to your loved one’s mood. While it can sometimes be natural for someone’s emotions to change as they get older, if it appears they are significantly more depressed or lonely than they used to be, contact us to discuss future plans.
Remember that many of these warning signs reveal themselves gradually. You should monitor your loved one’s condition as vigilantly as possible to ensure they receive the proper care as soon as it becomes necessary.
We believe that everyone should be able to easily find caregivers for their loved ones. That’s why we employ caregivers who speak a variety of languages. When you initially contact us, we will work closely with you to ensure your loved one receives assistance from someone who is qualified to speak with them (and you) in the preferred language fluently.
Our goal is to accommodate the needs of our clients to the absolute best of our abilities. We meet with them wherever their home happens to be. This can be their house, apartment, or anywhere else they may live. In other words, if your loved one currently lives in a senior care or senior living facility/community, but the facility does not have its own caregivers on staff to monitor your loved one, we’ll happily meet with them there. If your loved one currently lives in their own home, but you suspect you may want to move them to a senior community at some point in the future, we’ll also work with you to ensure a seamless transition. This is key to preventing major interruptions in the quality of your loved one’s care and overall lifestyle.
We can’t provide an exact cost of our services without first having the opportunity to discuss the needs of your loved one. Numerous factors will contribute to what you should expect to pay for our services, including how often your loved one will receive care, the nature of the care you wish us to provide them with, their location, and much more. We will discuss all these factors thoroughly during our initial consultations to ensure you understand why our services are priced as they are. That said, it is our mission to provide all people with access to home care when their loved ones require it. We thus work hard to make sure our services are as affordable as possible, and will work with you to try and develop a payment agreement that you can accept.
