FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How will you find the right caregiver for our loved one?
When a care team coordinator meets with you to set up your care plan, we try to send a caregiver that we feel will meet your loved one’s needs and personality.
Do I pay the caregiver directly?
No – you will receive an invoice from Stay at Home and we will compensate the caregiver.
Do you accept long-term care insurance?
YES we do! We can help you verify your benefits and get you reimburse.
How are the caregivers screened and trained?
Caregivers go through an extensive background check, including criminal background, DMV, personal and professional references. We also verify that they are cleared through the California Home Care aid Registry. We ensure they are current on their CPR and First Aid training. All caregivers are trained in understanding Alzheimer, Dementia. Parkinson, and Diabetes.
What can I expect in a typical day with my caregiver?
We understand the needs of each client is different; therefore, a typical day with a caregiver will vary. Rest assured that your loved one will receive the highest quality care and services with our caregivers.
Will we have the same caregiver every time?
If you have set days and time, yes, with the exception that the caregiver is sick or unable to make it. If you use Stay at Home care on-call or as needed, we are not able to guarantee the same caregiver each time. However, we will try our best to send a caregiver that you have already worked with and like.
What do I do if I don’t like my caregiver?
We want your loved one to feel comfortable and happy with their caregiver. If for any reason you are not happy, simply notify us and we will provide you with a new caregiver.
What happens if our caregiver gets sick or can’t come?
Stay at Home will notify you and provide another caregiver to care for your loved one.
Do you offer Pet care?
For an additional fee, we offer Pet care for our client’s pets.
Caregivers can feed and take pets for short walks
Drop pets off at veterinary appointments
What do you mean by “light house work”?
It is the responsibility of a great caregiver to clean up after him or herself, to attend to the upkeep of the client’s most immediate space, only attending to the areas that are affected while he or she is on duty. The caregiver is expected to strip and prepare a clean and fresh bed, as well as address the client’s closet, assisting with the client’s laundry, keep the nightstand organized and clean up any accidents that may occur during his or her visit. After bathroom duty with clients, spends a few minutes to return items that were removed during the shower and mop up any accidental spills, etc.
The caregivers will only remove the garbage that is within the client’s immediate space, as he or she picks up after him or herself.
The same is true for the bathroom, shower, tub and kitchen area. The caregivers will wash and pack away only the dishes that were used by them and the client, clean stove top areas, keeping refrigerator clean and free of old food and clutter, prepare, label and date all cooked meals, bearing in mind, that it is much safer to serve fresh meals at all times.
Responsibilities include:
laundry and changing linens
errands
medication reminders
assistance
bathing
dressing
transferring
shopping (groceries, clothes, gifts)
meal preparation and cleanup
monitoring bathing safety
supervise dressing and grooming
activities to encourage exercise of the body and mind
incontinence care
assistance with eating
mobility
It must be absolutely clear on the first day of service what the caregiver’s responsibilities will be. This allows the caregiver to know what his or her duties will entail and what is expected of them. Caregivers are not housekeepers, and must not be treated as such.
Do I sign a contract or keep service for a specified period of time?
Yes you sign a contract, that outlines cancellation, preferred dates and times of services. We do offer as needed care the rate is higher for this service, minimum 4 hours per visit.
After signing a contract, the Stay at Home office develops an individualized and completely confidential Plan of Care for each client. The purpose is to document the type of care services requested and when the client would like to initiate care. Once the client, family members, and local office agrees on the Plan of Care, the office staff will use that information to recommend the Stay at Home caregiver who will be delivering the service, establish the schedule and agree to the monitoring and communication.
Plans of Care are reviewed with the client and family at least every six months, but may be more frequent based on state regulations. The review is an important process to ensure the client is receiving the appropriate level of care and is pleased with the Stay at Home care he or she is receiving.