Home Care Q&A

February 27, 2023

 – We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions about home care and care management services for your review.

Q: How long have you been in business?

A: Senior Alternatives has been serving the Bay Area since 1995.

Q: Who do you serve?

A: We primarily focus on Aging Adults throughout the East Bay.  We also serve younger or middle-aged adults in need of physical assitance. We are an equal opportunity provider and do not discriminate by age, race, gender, religion or orientation.

Q: What level of care do you provide?

A: We provide non-medical homecare and care management services.

Q: What level of employees do you employ?

A: We employ six Master’s Level Geriatric Care Managers with a combined 200+ years of experience. We also employ approximately 100 caregivers. This team is directly screened, employed by us, insured and bonded by our company.

Q: What is your employee turnover?

A: Our caregiver turnover is less than 20%, well below an industry average of 50%.

Q: How many clients do you serve?

A: We have over 100 clients on our active census at any given time.

Q: What is your experience with older adults?

A: We specialize in the aging process and have a unique understanding of how memory is affected by this process. However, we also work with younger adults as well because they may face similar issues of isolation or need for resources.

Q: Do you specialize in any specific area or need?

A: We specialize in many aging processes and diseases including Dementia and all it’s sub-categories. Additionally we are adept at managing difficult behaviors and caregiver stress, dealing with resistance, managing depression, activity planning and supervision of caregivers.

Q: How do screen your staff?

A: Our screening process is very rigorous.  Applications are taken by appointment only once a resume has been reviewed for appropriate professional experience. The applicant goes through both written and verbal tests as part of their interview process. Applicants are subject to a background investigation at the federal and county levels. Professional references are called to validate information received during the application process.

Q: How do you assign staff to a client?

A: Our staff coordinator in conjunction with the care manager assigned, is responsible for all staff assignments. Our aim is to create a consistent schedule for our staff.  Pairings are based on the following factors: Skill set, personality, and availability.

Q: What type of training do you provide?

A: Our screening process is designed to find and select experienced caregivers.  We focus on initial orientation, offering monthly training sessions, new topics, classroom education and resources for training with other organizations in the community.

Q: How does the assessment work?

A: After an initial phone consultation, our Care Managers will arrange a time to visit the new client and involved parties at the client’s residence or hospital/skilled nursing to complete the initial Psycho-Social assessment. Based on the information gathered, the care manager develops a care plan to address areas of concern. In addition, the Care Manager can serve as a liaison between health care providers, other social service agencies and the client and involved family members. Care plans are regularly monitored for effectiveness and adjusted to address changing needs.

Q: How fast can you respond to a care request?

A: Our staff is available 24 hours a day to respond to our client’s needs. If a new client is seeking to start services, we respond within 24-48 hours.

Q: How do you bill?

A: We bill our clients or the responsible party every two weeks for services rendered. Some parties who have Long Term Care Insurance policies may receive a reimbursement for our services.

Q: How do you receive feedback from your clients?

A: Within two to three weeks of starting services, we initiate a phone call to the client or family members to check in on how the care plan is working.  We always provide a way to contact our team 24 hours a day. We send out an anonymous satisfaction survey quarterly to gather feedback.

Q: What is Care Management?

A: As a care manager is assigned to an individual, they become a type of fiduciary and can offer the following services to a client: Medical liaison and advocacy, medication management, coordination of care and other services, long-distance family support, consulting and support to adult children and spouses of the client.

If you were unable to find an answer you were searching, please contact us at: 888.451.4290

#homecare #caremanagement #28yearsofservice #seniorcare

 

 

To schedule a free 45 minute consultation, reach out to us: 888.451.4290 – We are here to help during the holidays and all year long.

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