Help in Choosing a Home Health Care Provider

Choosing a home health care service provider is a decision that requires thorough research. This decision should be made as carefully as if you were selecting a physician, lawyer, or any other professional. Home health care should help relieve you of emotional and financial burdens, not add to your worries with unexpected costs or unsatisfactory performance. Here are some areas to investigate before you make this important decision…

Credentials Of A Home Health Care Agency:

Does the agency have a client’s bill of rights available?

At CareGivers, we provide you with a client bill of rights and privacy policy to look over before beginning our services and starting our relationship with you and your loved one. We want to provide you with as much information as possible to ensure that your loved one is receiving the highest quality of care.

Is the agency licensed by the State Department Of Health?

Many states have different regulations about who can provide “hands on” care.  In New York state, in order to provide hands on care, i.e. personal care, assistance with ambulating, checking vitals, etc., an agency must be licensed by the State Department of Health.  If an agency only has a business license, they must limit their services to those that do not require hands on care, like housekeeping and companionship.  See the Insurance section below to find out why this is especially important to know if you have a Long Term Care Insurance Plan.

What is the professional reputation of the agency?

Your local Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau can help you verify the reputation of private companies offering home care services. At CareGivers, we pride ourselves on maintaining a reputable agency that’s been operating in the community for over 50 years. We welcome you to contact us with any questions or concerns regarding our agency and our credentials.

How many years has the agency been serving your community?

CareGivers has been serving the community’s home health care needs for over 50 years. We have continued to maintain high quality services that have set a national standard since 1967, making our company a trusted provider of home health care.

Are employees fully bonded and insured?

At CareGivers, we place a special emphasis on providing the peace of mind regarding the care and safety of your loved ones. In order to do so, we use a systematic screening process for all of our employees and conduct a background and criminal check on every staff member. All employees are fully bonded and insured, and are capable of providing the highest quality of care and competence to your loved one.

Are supervisors assigned to oversee employees to ensure quality?

All of our services are supervised by a CareGivers’ Registered Nurse who makes periodic visits to the home to monitor treatment and review or revise the total home care plan.

Billing Procedure:

How much will the services you need cost?

At CareGivers, our rates vary by location, the number of hours needed, and by the type of service or services that your situation requires. Please contact us for further rate information.

Whom do I pay?

At CareGivers, we prepare an invoice for you weekly or monthly based on a verified time slip submitted by the employee.   We pay the employee directly on a weekly basis.

How will I be billed?

Weekly (or monthly), we prepare an invoice for your convenience that totals the hours spent by the employee providing you and your loved one with our services. These hours are based on a verified time slip provided by the employee. Payment options are credit card, check, or ACH.

Are there any extra charges (travel, overtime, taxes, weekends and holiday hours, etc.)?

Yes, CareGivers does apply extra charges for services completed on the six major holidays: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  There would also be extra charges for any billable mileage (i.e. if our staff did shopping or errands for a client, or drove a client to an appointment).

Long Term Care Insurance/Health Insurance:

Will my insurance cover services?

Benefits vary greatly, as do requirements for coverage.  CareGivers will work with you to help you determine coverage.  Be prepared to check with your health insurance plan (group or private) or to check with your Medicare of Medicaid representative, if you are eligible for either of those plans.

Important To Note:  Most long term care insurance plans require an agency to be licensed by the state department of health in order to get reimbursement for home care services, and for services to count towards the spend-down/elimination period (if applicable).  All CareGivers branches are licensed by the Department of Health in their respective states.