With the help of professional home care services in Saratoga, Schenectady and Warren Counties many seniors in the Capital Region are opting to age in place, receiving quality care within the comfort of their own homes.
If you are among the growing number of adults considering in-home care for yourself or a loved one, the first-step is to research your options and interview potential providers. To help you get the conversation started, Wesley Senior Solutions has compiled a list of 10 must ask questions, along with our answers, to provide you with a point of reference.
Q: What types of home care services do you provide?
A: Our Senior Companions assist with errands, appointments, light housekeeping and simple meal preparation, while our Home Health Aides (HHAs) and Personal Care Aides (PCAs) assist with personal care needs, including bathing, dressing and grooming, as well as with ambulation, transfers, meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands and medication reminders. Our caregivers can also provide transportation and escort services to and from doctor appointments, errands and recreational activities, and a Registered Nurse is available to perform medication pours.
Q: Are your senior home caregivers thoroughly screened, insured and bonded?
A: Each of our senior home caregivers is carefully selected for their dependability, friendliness and compassion for caring. They are then thoroughly screened, including a criminal background check, and bonded and insured for your protection.
Q: Are home care services available on nights, weekends and holidays? And is there a time minimum per shift?
A: Our caregivers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for temporary or long-term solutions. Our minimum visit is two hours.
Q: Do you create a personalized care plan for each client? And is there different pricing for the different levels of care?
A: We arrange for a professional in-home nursing assessment and create a customized care plan with the right caregiver based on each client’s needs. Our pricing for home care services is based on several factors, including number of care hours per week and the level of services needed.
Q: Do caregivers receive training and ongoing education?
A: We provide paid training for our Certified Nursing Assistants, Home Health Aides and Personal Care Aides. In addition, all employees receive vital training in best practices to help them be fully informed and safe employees.
Q: Do the same caregivers attend to a client on a regular basis, or do they rotate?
A: We are committed to creating strong, caring relationships between clients and caregivers and aim to have no more than one or two caregivers per client. However, if clients require care for extended periods of time, or different times or days throughout the week, they may have more than one caregiver in a given week.
Q: How are complaints or requests for a new caregiver handled?
A: We make every effort to match you or your loved one with the best and most compatible caregiver at the start. However, if for any reason, the caregiver placed is not working out, we will work as quickly as possible to find a replacement.
Q: What is your plan for back-up care if a caregiver cannot make a scheduled shift?
A: Our caregivers are selected for their dependability, however emergencies still come up. Fortunately, we have access to a pool of qualified senior home caregivers who can be deployed in the event that a caregiver is not able to make a scheduled shift due to illness, car trouble, inclement weather or other emergency.
Q: Can you provide references from previous or current clients?
A: If you are interested in learning more about Wesley’s Senior Solutions and home care services, please give us a call at (518) 584-1200, and we’ll be happy to provide you with client testimonials and references.
Q: How often do you bill, and what forms of payment do you accept?
A: We send invoices weekly, after the completion of services. Because our senior home care services are private pay, we do not accept insurance at this time. However, if you have long term care insurance, we can submit the necessary paperwork for your reimbursement.
Senior Home Care Services in Saratoga
If you’re looking for senior home care services in Saratoga, Schenectady or Warren Counties, we invite you to take a look at Wesley Senior Solutions. We offer both in-home nursing care and non-medical companion care services throughout the Capital Region, as well as independent senior living, assisted living and long-term care on The Wesley Community campus in Saratoga Springs NY.
To learn more about our senior home care services and to set up a professional in-home nursing assessment, give us a call at (518) 584-1200.