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Home Care Prices in Springfield

Why do Home Care Agencies in Springfield have different prices for home care?

 

Many times we are asked by potential clients, “How are you different from “XYZ Home Care Agency” that has an hourly rate that is $2.00 less than you?” This is a valid question that all consumers of private duty home care services should be asking when interviewing potential home care agencies.

 

For our agency, the answer to this question has several parts but is relatively simple to answer. In the Springfield market, the going rate for private duty (non-medical) home care services is about $26.00 to $34.00 per hour. The national average price for home care is near $28 per hour. There are several low-cost home care providers out there but proceed with caution. There is a reason they are cheap! At Sutton, we have multiple, full-time members of our support staff that make sure things are running smoothly, program coordinators that facilitate monthly enrichment activities, and full-time schedulers. All of our employees earn W2 wages (not 1099) and have work comp/liability insurance in case they happen to get hurt helping your loved one. Sutton support staff is here to serve you and your loved one so we can ensure excellent experiences for our customers.

 

Every home care agency in town incurs virtually the same expenses for each hour of care they provide, with two BIG variables;

 

 

  • 1) The wage they choose pay to their caregivers.

 

  • 2) The amount of support staff they provide to their patients and additional programs and services included in their hourly package (i.e. intake R.N., schedulers, on-call staff, emergency support, field supervisors, program managers, etc.).

 

I am sure you can see where this is going.  The higher the hourly wage paid to the employee and the more support staff an agency has, the higher the quality of care your loved one is going to receive and the more successful their experience will be.

 

Although I can’t broadcast across the internet the hourly rate we charge for in-home care services, (we have a lovely lady that answers the phone that can help you with that information), you will be happy to know that we are very near the lower end of the price scale AND still provide all of our patients the quality and support staff necessary for a successful experience.

 

 

Here is a list of questions that may be helpful in your search for a home care agency that is a good fit for you and your family.

 

 

  • 1) Do you carry Workers Compensation, Liability and Errors and Omissions Insurance?

 

 

**If the answer to any one of those three policy types is “no”, there is no need to proceed with the interview. Insurance and workers compensation insurance protects you and your family and is non-negotiable.

 

  • 2) Are your caregivers classified as a 1099 Independent Contractor or a LEGAL W-2 employee?

 

**Same answer as above. By IRS statue, caregivers employed by an Agency are EMPLOYEES and should be classified as W-2 employees. If you speak with an agency that is paying their caregivers as 1099 contractors to avoid paying payroll taxes, aside from being illegal and short sighted, I am sure you can imagine what other cost cutting measures they might be employing, including not having work comp insurance. Please read the fine print, then, NEXT!

 

  • 3) What do you do if my caregiver calls in?

 

 

  • 4)Do you have ‘float staff’ to handle call-ins?

 

**Float staff are salaried positions that top notch agencies employ to prevent service interruptions.  This is a costly service for an agency to provide but INVALUABLE to clients who DEPEND on a caregiver.

 

 

  • 5) Who can I talk to if I have questions about my parents care health care and what are their credentials?

 

 

  • 6) What are your hours? What if I have an emergency after hours? Will I be able to talk to someone after hours that knows me and my family and is familiar with our case?

 

**Brooke Sutton, R.N. is available 24 hours a day to ALL of her clients and their families.  THIS. IS. PRICELESS.

 

 

  • 7) How much experience do you require of your caregivers?

 

**Sutton Home Care requires at least one year of VERIFIABLE caregiving experience before we will even grant an interview.

 

 

  • 8) You have experience working with a patient that has my Mom/Dad’s diagnosis?  If so, tell me about it?  Did that patient have a positive home care experience?

 

 

  • 9) My parents are resistant to having someone in their home although they need it. How will you handle that?

 

 

  • 10) What is your caregiver turnover rate? How many caregivers do you have on staff?

 

 

  • 11) Can I have several references from patients you have cared for that will be billing similar hours as me?

 

 

  • 12) Do you have experience working with families of Hospice patients? What do you offer the families of Hospice patients aside from the care itself?

 

 

Lastly, beware of the big box agencies in your town that are affiliated OR owned by a local Hospital.  These agencies typically have the least motivation to provide high quality care because the hospitals funnel almost all of their home bound patients to them with little regard to quality or positive outcomes.

 

A good agency will have an answer to each of these questions.  If you have any questions about home care prices or the services we provide, please call us today.  We are waiting for your call and want to help.  Sutton Home Care, 417-865-8812.