Frequently Asked Questions

In-home care provides seniors with one-on-one care and assistance in the comfort of home. Home care includes assistance with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, grooming, and other personal care. Additionally, home care services include meal preparation, shopping, transportation, laundry, medication reminders and light housekeeping. With one-on-one care, seniors receive the highest level of personal attention, and can engage in social, cognitive, and physical activities. For seniors who wish to stay in their homes, in-home care can be a great option to help ensure health, safety, and quality of life. 

Home care generally is a private-pay service. Many of our clients use long-term care insurance benefits to help cover the cost of in-home care. Home care is not covered by Medicare and other health insurance because home care services are non-medical. Medicare pays for home health care, such as physical therapy, nurse visits, and hospice care. These services are available in the home, however, must be determined medically necessary and be ordered by a physician based on eligibility criteria. The Veterans Administration offers an income-based home care benefit through its Aid and Attendance Program.

The answer no one wants to hear, “It depends.” Home care is typically an hourly service, so it depends on the level of care needed and the hours needed to provide that care. Any senior care has a cost, whether its assisted living, nursing home, or home care. In most cases, home care can be less expensive than nursing home care. It’s best to interview agencies and discuss your loved one’s needs and let each company make a professional recommendation and provide an estimate. You can expect to pay from a few hundred dollars a week to a few thousand dollars a week for 24×7 care.

One of the reasons we earn high client satisfaction ratings is our ability to match clients and caregivers. After our initial meeting and assessment with you and your loved one, our Care Manager will have an excellent idea of the level of care needed and the type of personality that would be a good fit. At that point, we go through a matching process to help ensure the very best fit. Nearly 100% of the time, we are right on target with our “matchmaking” skills. However, anytime during the relationship that the client wants to change caregivers — for any reason — we willingly do so.

Many people, when they begin to look for help at home, may need help with just a meal or two, some light housekeeping and possibly transportation. They often look to friends and family, church acquaintances, or friends of friends. People don’t consider the risks involved with hiring private caregivers vs. working with a licensed agency. In Oklahoma, home care agencies must be licensed through the Oklahoma State Health Department. A licensed agency is held to high standards of business and employment practices, liability protection, employee training, and safe care practices. With a privately hired caregiver, you will likely get help at a lower hourly rate; but you’ll rely on one person. So, if there’s an illness or another personal issue, you’re out of luck. An agency will be responsible for ensuring qualified staff are available to meet your needs, providing backup when needed. With Senior Care at Home, care is always provided by an experienced professional caregiver and supervised by an RN. 

When you hire a private caregiver as your employee, you are responsible and liable for damages as a result of an injury. You are also responsible for payroll taxes. However, with Senior Care at Home, we take care of these important legal and employment issues.

With a private caregiver, you need to do the proper screening and background checks. After you hire that person, you then become a supervisor, and it isn’t always easy! Senior Care At Home has a very rigorous system for screening and interviewing, so we hire fully vetted, qualified caregivers. We conduct national criminal background checks, and our caregivers go through multiple interviews and orientation regarding care standards, policies, and procedures. Plus, we manage all ongoing caregiver scheduling and management issues.

It takes more management and coordination than people think. We make a significant investment as a business to help ensure the highest quality service. To get the best care, you should involve professionals.

Most important, however, is the fact that when you choose Senior Care at Home, you are hiring an entire team of people who care. We’re there for the journey!

Convincing older adults that they need help at home can be challenging. While they balk at the thought of losing independence, the opposite is actually true. By having a little help, they are much more likely to be able to stay in their home if that’s their goal. Sometimes, seniors are faced with the option of staying home with help or moving to an assisted community. Just by staying in their home, surrounded by familiar things and a lifetime of memories, seniors can feel independent and can maintain their own routine and lifestyle. Once a crisis occurs (a fall, dehydration, a severe UTI), decisions about their care may be in the hands of others. With professional home care, families can enjoy peace of mind knowing their loved ones are in safe and caring hands.

We have a few ideas:

1. Discuss your loved ones’ goals. Make sure they feel heard and feel in control of decisions. If staying in their home is their desire, celebrate that goal and let them know you want to support them. A good plan might include a discussion of possible what ifs that are common for older adults. For example, what if you have a fall or other medical need? What if you are not able to drive safely? 
2. Let them voice their concerns. Perhaps they are not sure if they can trust someone in their home. Perhaps they are sensitive about personal care. Maybe it’s the cost. These are common concerns. Please give us a call to provide you with information to address these concerns. 
3. If they expect to rely on adult children or other loved ones for help, it’s important to have a candid conversation about this. Let them know that even though you want to help, you (as well as friends and neighbors) have other obligations and may not be able to be as readily available as they need. Discuss the importance of having quality time with them. Being able to visit without obligation or responsibilities will make your time together much more enjoyable. 
4. Ask your parents to try home care, at least temporarily. Once they meet their caregiver and see how great it is to have an extra set of hands and feet, “temporary” almost always becomes permanent. Be sure and share some of the benefits of home care, someone to prepare meals, help keep the home tidy, make sure they are safe when walking, showering, etc., someone to play a game of dominoes, take them to appointments, or go on a walk together. It’s their life and we want them to enjoy it! A caring professional caregiver will help them feel independent, safe, and encouraged. 
5. Come up with another name for “caregiver.” Some of our clients are more receptive to having a personal assistant. 
6. Ask your parents to do this for you: agree to a meeting with our owner. Once your parents meet our owner and understand that our company shares their goal of remaining at home, it’s a less threatening proposition.

We hope you’ll find from your very first call, we are different! We care. We listen. Our service is tailored to each individual client’s circumstances and needs, based on our conversation with you including an in-home consultation. We are not an “adult babysitting” service, and we aren’t simply a housekeeping service. We want to be a partner to you in your loved one’s care. 

A good match is a top priority to help ensure both our clients’ as well as our caregivers’ comfort levels and satisfaction. We consider skills and experience required as well as personality characteristics and personal interests and preferences. We are very intentional about this process because we have a personal stake in a successful relationship. 

Our caregivers are professionals. We are selective in our hiring, and we invest in ongoing training and supervision to help ensure our team delivers exceptional care. 

 We are an above and beyond home care agency. Here’s what makes us different:

• We hire high-caliber caregivers, and we invest in their ongoing training and development. 
• We are dedicated to long-term in-home care.
• We focus on high-quality customer service. 
• We provide hands-on care management with RN oversight of your loved one’s care.
• We embrace a positive and holistic approach to aging.

While we have an agreement that spells out expectations, we do not require a long-term commitment to our services. We want you to stay with us only if you are 100% satisfied. Because having in-home care is an adjustment for your loved one, it may take a week or two to get acclimated, familiar, and in a routine. We ask for a 30-day commitment to give us the best opportunity for success. 

Our care goes wherever seniors need it. Our caregivers can even provide one-to-one services for seniors during hospital stays and in independent senior communities and assisted living facilities, ensuring that seniors maintain the high level of personal care and companionship they deserve.

For hourly care, caregivers stay in the home only for the duration of their assigned shift. Caregivers maintain a separate residence and are not allowed to use the personal property of the client, except in the course of the client’s care. Caregivers do not have visitors or invite family to the home while they are working.