FAQs About Homecare and Caregivers

The following are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Care4You and homecare. If you don’t find your question here, please call us at (855) 599-4888 or click here to email us.

For general questions about senior health and information for families caring for loved ones, please see our Articles and Family Learning Center pages.

What is homecare?

Homecare offers personalized, one-to-one, social, physical, and cognitive support, care, and assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Activities of Daily Living include, but are not limited to, meal preparation, medication reminders, hygiene and bathing assistance, transportation, dementia care, transfer and mobility assistance, and more.

Our homecare aides work hard to ensure our clients are able to live as independently as possible while receiving the care they need to maintain a high quality of life. Homecare enables older adults to age at home safely and comfortably. More importantly, homecare provides an opportunity for genuine companionship, and that can have a profound impact on the overall health and well being for an individual. Homecare provides peace of mind for their families and loved ones.

What are the benefits of homecare?

Homecare is Personalized, One-on-One Care:

Caregivers have only one purpose, and that’s to ensure your loved one receives quality care. Your loved one gets one-on-one care at the necessary level to achieve ultimate comfort — whether it is overnight, or a few hours a day. A care plan is developed and tailored to the needs of each individual.

Homecare Fosters Independence, Confidence, and Comfort:

With a variety of homecare services, your loved one has the ability to lead a meaningful, independent life. Homecare services range from personal care assistance, medication reminders, assistance with range-of-motion activities, to daily chores, meal preparation, and grocery shopping.

Your Peace of Mind:

A caregiver will not only provide quality care for your loved one, but it will also ensure peace of mind for you and your family.

Quality of Life:

Homecare improves quality of life for the recipient by providing emotional and social support, genuine companionship, and promoting independence while ensuring safety.

What are my options and their associated costs?

For personal care needs, homecare can provide private duty, short, and long term custodial care. If a loved one has extensive needs requiring full-time care, that is considered long term custodial care; it is not considered a medical or skilled service. Unfortunately, traditional health insurance does not cover homecare, but long-term care insurance does. There are many different options and policies can be designed for an individual’s particular situation, so a conversation with an expert is recommended. Some military veterans may be entitled to certain pension benefits to cover non-medical homecare services. For more information about veterans’ benefits, contact the Veterans Administration or a certified elder care attorney.

How do I hire a homecare service?

Finding the right homecare company can certainly seem like a difficult task, but knowing what questions to ask when hiring an agency can make the process easier. This is your opportunity to get to know the agency, to determine if the company is the right fit, and if they are qualified to provide the services requested. Ask all questions you may have and voice any concerns upfront—a licensed homecare agency should be accustomed to answering these questions and licensed homecare agencies should be committed to ensuring that you are comfortable. The main questions you might use to inquire are:

1. How does the agency screen, hire, and train caregivers?

2. What is the protocol for scheduling and staffing caregivers?

3. What legal responsibilities does the agency have?

4. What insurance coverage and protection is available?

5. What differentiates a state-licensed homecare company from others?

Most reputable homecare agencies will work with you and your loved one to conduct a client assessment and to develop a plan of care. After completing the assessment and defining the plan of care, the agency will select the appropriate caregiver, to ensure a personality fit.

How do I know if homecare is right for me or my loved one?

Care4You caregivers perform a multitude of services for all ages and abilities. Our clients include individuals who are ill and unable to perform some routine daily activities such as bathing and dressing. Others need a helping hand with household chores and transportation. Still others just need a kind, caring person to provide companionship. Please click here to read more about Care4You’s services.

I’m uncomfortable having a stranger come into my mother’s home. How do I know that she will be safe?

We hire only experienced and compassionate caregivers. They must pass criminal background and DMV checks and they are bonded and insured. Click here to read more about Care4You’s caregivers.

How much does homecare cost?

Your cost will depend on results of the personal assessment we prepare in consultation with you and your family members and the amount of services needed. Once the assessment is complete, we will give you an estimate of cost.

Are there any minimum or maximum limitations?

Care4You provides services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Together, we will determine the amount of hours that meet your needs. Our daily minimum is two hours and we do not have a weekly minimum.

Are homecare services covered by insurance or Medicare?

Homecare is not covered by traditional insurance or by Medicare. However, it is covered by some long-term insurance policies. Care4You works with many long-term care insurance companies. We submit the invoices along with care notes written by the caregiver.

I’m concerned about having to withhold income and Social Security taxes and paying for liability and Workers’ Compensation Insurance.

Our caregivers are our employees, so we handle all the paperwork. We pay for Workers’ Compensation Insurance and we carry comprehensive liability insurance.

Are caregivers supervised?

Care4You caregivers are supervised by a Registered Nurse. We also conduct quality assurance visits to clients’ locations monthly to monitor their performance.

Is someone available if there is an emergency?

Care4You responds to calls 24/7.

What will happen if my loved one does not particularly care for the caregiver? How easily is the caregiver replaced?

Although we do our best with client/caregiver matching, there are those times when it doesn’t work out. If this happens, we correct it right away by providing a new caregiver for the next shift.

What if my caregiver is sick or on vacation?

Care4You will send a replacement. We have NEVER left a client in need unattended.

Do you provide services to those in nursing homes or assisted living facilities?

Yes, Care4You serves residents in assisted living communities and nursing homes who may need additional attention or personalized care.

“Your organization is a class act. Our mother deserved the best care possible and we received it through Margarita from your organization. When the hospice nurse came to visit our mother she told us ‘your mother is receiving excellent care’.”
Family of Sylvia L.
“For thoughtful, caring and professionally efficient service, I know of no similar group of their quality.”
Jack F.
“Thank you for providing Nadine such wonderful caregivers. They made life much more full and gave us both a better life than we ourselves could have provided.”
Fred F.
“Thank you so much for the services provided by your staff. Ana has been a godsend to me and my mom.”
Loretta M.
“In the last two years, mother’s caregiver, Yolanda, has become a part of the family. She not only takes good care of Mother but takes care of Mother’s kitty and Mother’s home as if they were her own! In the heat and long days of summer, when the ice cream truck comes down the block playing its little tune, Yolanda will treat mother to an ice cream. They watch Lakers games, play cards and listen to Elvis together. This past fall, Yolanda took mother on a little outing to visit a pumpkin patch. It’s the little pleasures Mother enjoys and that make us smile, too.”
Sharon W.

FAQ's

FAQs About Homecare and Caregivers