What YOU Need To Know
Not all Senior Home Care Companies are Created Equal
You are about to make an important decision, please consider the following...
Is the company a Registry or a Non-Registry? How much are you willing to Risk?
Home Instead Senior Care is a non-registry company. Non-registry companies hire CAREGivers as employees and a registry company contract caregivers to come into your home. A CAREGiver who is an employee is covered under workman's compensation insurance, liability and bonding insurance a contracted caregiver is not. Even if a company advertises they carry workman's compensation insurance, liability and bonding insurance, the caregiver must be an employee for you to benefit from their insurance. If a company stated their caregivers insure themselves ask for a copy of the caregivers insurances make sure the caregivers name is on proof of insurance. It does you no good to have a copy of the companys insurance on their office staff (the only employees they may have). To learn about the dangers of hiring a registry please visit www.privatedutyhomecare.org.
What type of background checks does the company perform?
A 7 level screening process is performed on all of our Home Instead Senior Care CAREGivers:
1. A Criminal Search in every state and county they have ever lived in (100% spotless background is the only acceptable result)
2. Annual Motor Vehicle Safety Report
3. Motor Vehicle Insurance Verification
4. Drivers License Verification
5. Social Security Trace
6. Personal Reference Checks
7. Professional Reference Checks
Are their employees bonded, insured, and do they carry workman's compensation insurance on their CAREGivers (not just their office staff)?
All CAREGivers at Home Instead Senior Care are bonded, insured, and are covered with workman's compensation insurance. This takes the risk away from our clients having a CAREGiver in the home. Remember, homeowners insurance does not cover you! You want to make sure the CAREGivers are insured NOT just the office staff. When a company states their employees are insured, ask what insurance is provided and ask them to define who an employee is. This is a very expensive piece to our business...some decide not to provide this safely precaution.
Does the company withhold social security and federal taxes or are you responsible?
Home Instead Senior Care takes responsibility for paying our employees as well as all applicable withholdings and taxes. Our clients never have to worry about exchanging money with our CAREGivers or an IRS audit.
How does the company train its employees?
Home Instead Senior Care has an established training program. CAREGivers go through an extensive training process that includes our Basic CAREGiver Training Guide, a Safety Guide class and a Advanced CAREGiver Training Guide. We also have an Alzheimer's Training Program specifically developed for Home Instead Senior Care, by The George G. Glenner Alzheimer's Family Center , Inc., which is based out of San Diego, CA.
Does the company provide personal introductions between caregivers and clients?
Home Instead Senior Care will match our clients needs and personality with our CAREGivers experience and personality. Our Community Service Representative (our staff member who our client has already met) will introduce our client and CAGREGiver the very first day services begin.
Does the company have a formal Quality Assurance Program and employ a Social Worker who performs regularly scheduled QA visits?
We perform a very structured QA program with all of our clients and families. Regular visits are performed to enhance our service and quality of care.
Does the company have a supervisor "on call" at all times?
24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can reach Home Instead Senior Care 24/7 in an emergency situation. We also have a CAREGiver on stand-by. If you or your loved one needs assistance on a 24/7 basis and your CAREGiver has a personal emergency...we have someone on stand-by so our client gets the assistance he/she needs.
How does the company keep record of services provided, client service schedules and important family contact information?
Home Instead Senior Care provides you with our Client Journal. Our Client Journal stays in the home at all times to keep record of everything from contact information to services provided and visitors. Of course, the owners also have this information plus much more at their fingertips at all times.
Does the company provide 24 hour/7days a week care?
Home Instead Senior Care does. We also have a CAREGiver on weekend standby. In case our CAREGiver cannot make it to our clients who need 24/7 care we already have her replacement.
Can the company provide services in a nursing home or an assisted living?
Not if they do not carry workman's compensation or liability and bonding insurance. Regulations state all companies that perform within a health care facility home must have insurance. Since both owners are Licensed Nursing Home Administrators, we work extremely well with health care facilities. We educate our CAREGivers on how they can make our clients time at a facility the best that it can be.
