FAQ

What is home care and how does it differ from home healthcare?

 In its truest meaning, home care refers to any type of care (medical or non-medical) that is provided for the client in their home.  While home care can be used to describe both medical and non-medical care, typically "home care" refers to non-medical care such as companionship/homemaking services and personal care services, while "home healthcare" refers to the provision of skilled nursing care and other care such as speech, physical or occupational therapy.  We Are Family is a non-medical  home care  not for profit agency. 

 What services does We Are Family  provide? 

We Are Family  provides companionship services such as meal preparation, laundry, light housekeeping, grocery shopping/errands, incidental transportation, medication reminders, grooming and respite care.  We also provide personal care services such as bathing, grooming, and hygiene, mobility assistance, transferring and positioning, toileting and incontinence and feeding/special diet assistance.  

 How are We Are Family caregivers selected? 

Each caregiver, is  carefully screened   before contracted to care for a client.  Each must undergo a thorough process including national and local criminal background checks, DMV, and personal and professional reference checks.  All caregivers are bonded, insured,  for our clients’ peace-of-mind. We strive to contract  the very best caregivers  because we only contract  people we would want caring for a member of our own family. 

   Are services available 24 hours, 7 days a week? 

Yes.  Services are available for as little as a few hours a visit up to 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  

 Do you provide services to those in nursing homes or assisted living communities?

 Yes.  We Are Family can provide companionship or personal care to residents at assisted living communities and nursing homes who may desire additional attention or personalized care.  

 Is there a written plan of care for each client? Is it modified and if so, how often?

 We Are Family  develops an individualized and completely confidential Plan of Care for each client.  The purpose is to document the type of care services needed and when the client would like to initiate care.  Once the client, and family members agrees on the Plan of Care, the office staff will use that information to recommend the caregiver  who will be delivering the service, establish the schedule and agree to the monitoring and communication.
 

Plans of Care are reviewed with the client and family at least every six months, but may be more frequent..  The review is an important process to ensure the client is receiving the appropriate level of care and is pleased with the caregiver  providing the care.

 Will I have the same caregiver all the time?  How will I meet my caregiver?

 During the initial conversation and the in-home visit, the Client Care Coordinator will document the services required and the client's preferences for a caregiver  Then, the Client Care Coordinator selects the best caregiver fit for the client and will arrange an introduction between the client, caregiver, and Coordinator to introduce each member of this new team.  During that meeting, all of the involved parties review the Plan of Care to ensure that everyone agrees and understands what services are to be provided.

 What if my Caregiver is sick or on vacation? 

We Are Family  contracts  a team of caregivers so that your care service will not be interrupted if someone gets sick or goes on vacation.   If your caregiver  is unavailable, the Client Care Coordinator will arrange another caregiver and will contact you in advance of the change.   The Client Care Coordinator will also introduce the interim caregiver to you and review your Plan of Care with the interim caregiver prior to service.   Our goal is to ensure that services are provided as expected.  Your safety and security are a top priority. 

 What are Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental  Activities of Daily Living ? 

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) include the basic tasks essential for day-to-day functioning, such as bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, mobility and toileting. Many seniors who require help with such activities are largely independent, but may require help with one or two ADLs. In some cases, intermittent help from a family member or friend may be all that is needed. However, in many cases, particularly when family or friends are unavailable and the importance of scheduling these activities is critical, informal care arrangements may not be adequate.

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 Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) are considered those activities which are less basic than the traditional ADLs. IADLs, nevertheless, are important in enhancing a client’s quality of life. IADLs include such activities as shopping, paying bills, cleaning, doing the laundry and meal preparation.  Many seniors require assistance with IADLs rather than  ADLs. Some seniors want someone to escort them when they are shopping and help them avoid situations that might cause them to fall. Other seniors may welcome assistance with their bill paying and medical appointments. We are Family  offers an array of companionship and homemaking services to assist our clients with the IADLs.