FAQ
Below are answers to some commonly asked questions about hourly and live-in home care. If you have any other questions, or would like more information, click here
- What are Homecare Services ?
- Who is my caregiver ?
- How quickly can NWHCare start services?
- How can I start services?
- How do caregiver’s gets reimbursed for hours worked?
- What happens if my caregiver gets sick or has personal emergency?
- Does NWHCare provide caregivers for clients residing in nursing homes or assisted living facilities?
- What are ADLs and IADLs?
- What is home care?
- What’s unique about the service provided by Home Care Assistance?
- What is the difference between live-in care, 24/7 care and hourly care?
- How do the costs compare between live-in and hourly service?
- Do you have a service contract I have to sign?
- What does it mean when you say lifestyle care?
- How do you supervise caregivers?
- Home Care Assistance caregivers are great. Do you put them in places besides seniors’ homes?
- What areas of care do caregivers specialize in?
Q: What are Homecare Services ?
In home care is non-medical homecare services that are intended to assist clients with activities of daily living (ADLs), which would include but are not limited to: activities of daily living support, personal care, medication reminding, housekeeping services, personal laundry, cooking, shopping, assistance in getting to and from appointments, maintenance of household records and companionship.
Q: Who is my caregiver ?
In-Home Service Workers/Caregivers - are professionally selected, screened, trained and supervised. These individuals perform personal care and household duties for clients who have difficulty performing activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs).
Q: How quickly can NWHCare start services?
Home care services can be started within a 48 hour period or even the same day that services are requested.
Q: How can I start services?
Contact NWHCare at 847-670-8268. Our agency staff will conduct your free of charge home safety evaluation and comprehensive assessment. Thereafter, each client will be encouraged to participate in the caregiver selection process. As soon as the client approves a caregiver, homecare services will be started.
Q: How do caregiver’s gets reimbursed for hours worked?
Caregivers are employees of NWHCare which means agency staff handles all billing, payroll, taxes IRS, insurance and supervision of field staff.
Q: What happens if my caregiver gets sick or has personal emergency?
NWHCare supervisor will utilize the field staff database to select a substitute caregiver based on client’s preferences and needs.
Q: Does NWHCare provide caregivers for clients residing in nursing homes or assisted living facilities?
Absolutely yes, agency caregivers can attend to elderly clients long term care needs regardless of the client’s place of residence. Generally, assisted living facilities do not provide 24 hour around-the-clock supervision.
Q: What are ADLs and IADLs?
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are routine activities that people tend do everyday without needing assistance. There are six basic ADLs: eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring (walking) and continence. An individual's ability to perform ADLs is important in order to determine what type of long-term care and coverage the individual needs (i.e. Homecare or long-term care insurance). Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) are the skills necessary to live independently, such as the ability to use a telephone, shop for groceries, handle finances, perform housekeeping tasks, prepare meals, and take medications.
Q: What is home care?
Home care provides seniors with one-on-one assistance in the comfort of their own home. This enables them to live at home independently and maintain their quality of life. The personal attention they receive vastly improves their safety, health and happiness.
Q: What’s unique about the service provided by Home Care Assistance?
Emphasis on providing long-term care from a consistent caregiver ensures quality in care and maintains familiarity and emotional stability.
Q: What is the difference between live-in care, 24/7 care and hourly care?
With our live-in care service, a caregiver comes and stays around the clock, ready to assist with all activities of daily living. Live-in does not mean move-in. Northwest Home Care caregivers only bring a small bag for their daily needs. All they require is a quiet place in the home where they can receive uninterrupted rest in the evenings. This ensures that our caregivers are fully rested and alert the following day. 24/7 care provides service for those seniors who require close supervision at all times and is billed hourly. This is often used in conjunction with live-in care. Hourly care is also available for three or more consecutive hours at a time or longer.
Q: How do the costs compare between live-in and hourly service?
Our hourly billing is always at a fixed hourly rate, no matter the time of day or day of the week (some limited exceptions apply). Hourly care is available for a minimum of three consecutive hours.
Live-in service can be provided for as little as 1 day a week. Our flat rate and no hidden fee policies make Home Care Service easy to budget—without surprises.
Q: Do you have a service contract I have to sign?
There is a voluntary service contract with Northwest Home Care, Inc. that can be terminated by a customer without any termination fees. That means you can use our services for only as long as you need and with 100% satisfaction.
Q: What does it mean when you say lifestyle care?
By remaining in their homes, seniors are able to maintain the lifestyle they have been accustomed to enjoying throughout their life. Keeping all their possessions and familiar surroundings, home care clients are able to visit the same stores, restaurants, neighbors and parks they already know.
Q: How do you supervise caregivers?
Before beginning care, we create a schedule and a plan of care that covers all aspects of the appropriate home care and give the assignment to the caregiver. A Case Manager at Northwest Home Care makes regular home visits to ensure that all care is adequate and can make changes as needed.
Q: Home Care Assistance caregivers are great. Do you put them in places besides seniors’ homes?
Yes. We can visit seniors anywhere they need care. During hospital stays, our hospital sitters can provide round-the-clock companionship and monitoring for safety.
Many residents of facilities also hire Northwest Home Care caregivers to provide the personal one-to-one attention they deserve.
We can even accompany seniors on vacations, enabling them to travel in safety and freedom.
Q: What areas of care do caregivers specialize in?
Our extensive roster of skilled caregivers specialize in cases, including but not limited to:
Alzheimer’s disease
Parkinson’s disease
Dementia
Cancer
Rehabilitation
Orthopedics
Strokes and Neurology
Hospice
For details about our numerous specialties, please see our online brochures.
No Long-Term Contract – We require neither a deposit nor a long-term contract, so clients stay with Northwest Home Care Agency only as long as they are 100% satisfied.
Our We Will Be There Guarantee – Agency automated time reporting system requires that caregivers check-in and check-out for appointments from a home phone, or our care manager is notified immediately. In the event a caregiver is delayed, your Home Care Assistance care manager will find a suitable replacement right away.
These are answers to just a few of the most commonly asked questions asked by prospective clients. Please feel free to call or email us if you have any additional questions about our company, our services or home care in general. Better yet, contact us now to for a free assessment of your home care needs!
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