FAQ’S
Q. I need a Caregiver, CNA—or a PCA, or an HHA, or maybe, a companion…CAN YOU HELP ME?
Absolutely! There are many different options of in-home senior care for Seniors, but we keep it simple and straight forward. At Sutton In-Home Senior Care we offer companion care and non-medical personal senior care. All services are included in the same hourly rate and often overlap one another based on the specific needs of your loved one. It’s as simple as that! CNA’s PCA’s, LPN’s are assigned to more complex/end of life cases.
Q. Do you provide around the clock 24 Hour Care?
Yes. Each situation is different because some seniors are sleeping through the night while others may be getting up frequently for use of the bathroom and be confused and disoriented in the middle of the night. Each patient requiring 24/7 care is carefully evaluated and assigned multiple caregivers depending on their preference. While we prefer to keep the number of caregivers coming in and out of the home to a minimum, new laws requiring overtime pay for employees in the home health field can require some scheduling adjustments to keep in-home senior care affordable for you and your family. Some clients may prefer a slightly different schedule with day and night shifts spread among 3-4 different caregivers. In many situations we are able to offer a price break due to the lower costs associated with extended live-in senior care.
Q. What if my mom or dad needs transportation to or from a doctor’s appointment, to get groceries or another appointment?
Transportation can be provided in the client’s vehicle or in the caregiver’s vehicle. Transportation in the client’s vehicle does not cost extra and is included in the cost of service. If we are transporting your Mom or Dad in their vehicle, we must obtain proof of full coverage insurance and a waiver.
Anytime the caregiver’s vehicle is used, a one-time $8.00 fee is charged as long as the destination is within five miles. Any destination over five miles is billed at 65 cents per mile plus the $8.00 flat fee. All transportation fees are collected are added to your weekly/monthly invoice and remitted in full to your caregiver each week and included in their paycheck. Sutton In-Home Senior Care remits 100% of transportation charges to your caregiver.
Q. I live out of state. How do I know that the home health aide/CNA is getting to my parent’s house as scheduled?
Our office uses a system called telephony. With this system, the aide calls from the client’s phone when they arrive and again when they leave. This call is recognized by the computer and logs the caregiver’s arrival, GPS location, departure time and calculates the hours billed for services of that specific caregiver. In the event a caregiver doesn’t arrive at the scheduled time, our office is automatically notified, and we locate the caregiver or find a replacement if they are sick. We always notify the patient of any delays or if a different caregiver is coming that day.
Q. Do you sell medical supplies and/or equipment?
We do not sell medical supplies or equipment, but we can help find anything you need and, in many cases, arrange for delivery and/or installation.
Q. Do you only provide home care to seniors?
We provide home care services to anyone needing non-skilled/private duty companion care, regardless of age.
Q. What if our caregiver gets hurt on the job?
We maintain workers compensation, general liability and errors and omissions insurance on each of our employees. We do not hire independent contractors. Each caregiver is an employee of Sutton In-Home Senior Care, LLC shielding you from any potential lawsuits arising from wrongful termination claims, slip/fall, back strains, etc.
Q. How/When do I pay for companion services?
Sutton In-Home Senior Care is a self-pay/private pay agency. All visits are billed at the time of service and payment is due at the end of each week. We bill exclusively via ACH to help keep processing costs down, which is passed along to you.
Q. My mom has the early stages of dementia and cannot be left alone but I cannot afford 24-hour live-in homecare. Can you help me?
Yes. In some cases, early dementia and Alzheimer’s patients are safe at night or when they are sleeping. Many clients opt for our services during the daytime until the patient goes to bed. In the morning when they wake, we are there to help with their morning routine and provide assistance whenever they may need it.
Q. What if we don’t like the home health aide?
Simple, we will send another. We want you and your Mom or Dad to be comfortable with their aide(s).
Q. Do we get to pick our home health aide?
You can, however, if you opt to interview each aide you are responsible for their wages at a two hour minimum. Typically, our clients let us pick a carefully screened aide for them and we take great care in matching a home health aide that is positive, warm and patient.
Q. Do I pay the caregiver directly?
No. Clients are invoiced once per month or weekly (whichever you prefer). You never have to pay caregivers directly nor will you ever be asked to pay any additional fees to an employee.
Q. Can I change or discontinue services for my loved one?
Yes. You can change the number of visits or type of care provided at any time. We understand that needs can change in an instant and are flexible as possible with your loved one’s care. There is a four-hour minimum visit, at three times per week. Hourly minimums are implemented to ensure we have the very best caregiver. It is very rare to find a decent caregiver that is willing to drive back and forth all over town each day working two-hour shifts (its exhausting). You are never bound to a long-term contract with Sutton. You can discontinue services with Sutton In-Home Senior Care at any time. As a professional courtesy, we ask for a one week notice to allow us time to move your caregiver onto a different schedule so they continue receiving a consistent weekly paycheck.
Q. How do I know if I need a Home Health Aide or a CNA/PCA?
In most cases, professional caregivers meet our client’s needs. We do have Nurses, LPN, CNA’s on staff but they are more expensive due to their credentialing and are typically reserved for hospice/end of life care when situations can become more complex. We work hard to find the best caregivers that are loving, compassionate, skilled, and have the appropriate training and experience required to care for your parent. Brooke Sutton, RN is able to train caregivers are just about every complexity you can imagine without having to pay hourly rates associated with credentialed employees.
Q. How do you screen your employees?
Each caregiver must pass a state and national background check, drug screen, complete training program administered at our office, have at least one year experience in – home health care/nursing home care, and complete ongoing training administered by Brooke Sutton, RN. We hire only the most qualified caregivers and dig very deep into new hires to make sure we are hiring the right person. Many new cases can be staffed with EXISTING company caregivers, not necessarily new hires.
Q. Do you accept Medicaid, Medicare, or VA insurance?
No. Sutton In-Home Senior Care is a self-pay agency. Most private insurance, Long Term Care Policies are accepted. We handle the monthly billing/care notes needed for prompt reimbursement by the LTC agency.
Q. How do I know you are hiring the BEST aide for my Mom or Dad? Why Sutton In-Home Senior Care?
We pay the best wages in the area, provide company funded health insurance through Blue Cross and provide a positive work environment for our employees. Our packages draw the most committed, honest, experienced, career-oriented caregivers in the industry. Our staff is serious about finding compassionate employees that have a true passion working with seniors and understand the trust placed in us by each client. Many new cases can be staffed with EXISTING company caregivers, not necessarily new hires.
Q. How old are your caregivers?
Sutton In-Home Senior Care is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). All home care aides / senior companions must be able to lift at least 50 lbs. We hire nursing students, career-oriented CNAs/PCAs/Health Aides, as well as semi-retired people with various backgrounds in health care.
Q. Can you administer medication?
While we cannot administer medication, but we can assist in reminding individuals when to take their medication, assist with pre-measured medication packages and report any side effects. Medication reminders and medication logs are one of our most requested services.
Q. Will my loved one always receive care from the same caregiver?
Our goal is to establish a long-term care-giving relationship with your loved one. We understand that a strong and consistent rapport with the same caregiver is extremely important for a successful home care experience. If your loved one receives care for many hours a day, it is often necessary to schedule an additional caregiver, however, our goal of providing consistent care is the same. We want all of our patients and family to be happy and confident with our agency and we will do what it takes to achieve that goal. We have a strong company structure and multiple processes to ensure continuity of care.