- GENERAL HOMECARE
- PERSONAL CARE AID & SERVICES
- REQUESTING FOR HOMECARE SERVICES
1. Why should I choose home care for myself or a loved one?
Most of us want to enjoy the comfort of our home for as long as we can. Home care provides one-on-one assistance that allows you or your loved one to remain in your current living situation. Senior care at home will allow your family to have peace at mind that you or your loved one will be able to live at home independently and safely.
2. What’s the difference between hiring someone privately vs. home health agencies?
Here are 10 tasks to anticipate as you consider whether you would want to take on that role:
a. Hiring. If you hire directly or work with a registry, you receive a list of potential caregivers to interview. It is up to you to perform background checks, check references, and discuss duties, expectations, salary and experience—and then, to choose the caregiver whom you hope will meet your loved one's needs and preferences. If you work with All Islands Homecare, we will take care of all these steps and more. We will send a caregiver who is matched to your family's needs, selected from our own employees with whom they have a relationship.
b. Training. If you hire directly or from a registry list, the caregiver may or may not have experience in providing care for a person with your loved one's needs. There could be a steep learning curve, requiring much of your time—and you may not feel qualified to provide that training. All Islands Homecare will send a worker who has received professionally developed training and understands your loved one's needs, whether that be physical limitations or Alzheimer's disease. If you have questions, you can always call us.
c. Supervision. Once you have hired a caregiver, how do you know that the services you hired the person to perform are being done, and correctly? When you hire through a registry, it's up to you to monitor the situation. Families experience greater peace of mind when a All Islands Homecare is supervising and evaluating caregiver employees on an ongoing basis. We will also ascertain that the caregiver shows up for their shift and performs assigned tasks—an especially valuable plus when families live at a distance.
d. Payroll taxes. All Islands Homecare take care of payroll, including federal and state taxes, Social Security, Medicare and unemployment. If you hire directly or through a registry, you are responsible for understanding and complying with this often-confusing array of withholding taxes. And you might face civil fines and even criminal penalties if you are caught paying "under the table" without complying with tax laws.
e. Work-related injuries. Eldercare workers are at risk of injury, such as sprains and strains from lifting clients, automobile injuries and falls. What if a caregiver you've hired through a registry is injured while in your home? As the employer, you could be responsible for the caregiver's medical bills and disability. Would your homeowner's insurance cover this type of claim? In most cases, no: Homeowner's policies usually exclude coverage for employees in the home. It's much safer to work with All Islands Homecare carries liability insurance and worker's compensation for their employees.
f. Backup. Even the most conscientious caregiver will miss a shift from time to time, due to illness or a personal emergency. What if your caregiver quits on short notice? And what about those times when the caregiver is on vacation? Families may find themselves scrambling to cover their loved one's care upon those occasions. All Islands Homecare is equipped to provide a backup caregiver if your regular caregiver can't make it—even at the last minute.
g. Discipline. What if the caregiver isn't performing up to your expectations? What if he or she arrives late, misses shifts, or isn't caring for your loved one as requested? If you hired directly or from a registry, you are on your own—you have to have the talk and set penalties for not improving, which is unpleasant and uncomfortable for most people. But if your caregiver is an employee of All Islands Homecare, you can report problems to the manager so they can be handled in a less personal way. All Islands Homecare have a disciplinary system in place for helping the caregiver improve or, if it's your preference, they will send a different worker.
h. Ensuring your loved one's safety. It's a subject families would rather not think about, but it's important to know that every year unscrupulous, dishonest people abuse their position of trust to take advantage of vulnerable elders by stealing from, exploiting or even physically abusing them. Few registries perform background checks on the caregivers they place, and they are not allowed by law to supervise them—so if a caregiver you hire steals from your loved one, makes unauthorized charges with your loved one's credit card or worse, you are on your own in dealing with law enforcement. This is a dicey situation when you've hired under the table! All Islands Homecare perform criminal background checks and contact previous employers before hiring a caregiver; in the rare case that a caregiver does commit an illegal act, the agency will take responsibility and deal with law enforcement.
i. Termination. What if the caregiver isn't meeting your expectations, or your loved one does not like the caregiver, or if it just doesn't work out? Firing an employee is seldom pleasant. And there may be unemployment claims to deal with. But if your caregiver is employed by All Islands Homecare, the agency will be able to provide you with a different caregiver.
j. Cost. When you're first comparing prices, it might seem cheaper to hire directly or from a registry. But don't forget the hidden costs—and potential costs—of serving as your caregiver’s employer. You may need to pay an accountant, elder law attorney or geriatric care manager to help with payroll and other human resources tasks. You may lose income when you must take time off from work to fill in when a caregiver doesn’t show up, or to deal with problems with the caregiver. And then there's the possibility of hefty tax evasion penalties or even a personal injury lawsuit! Remember: You are paying All Islands Homecare not only for the services of the caregiver, but also for an array of legal and human resources support tasks and protections.
3. Why should I use All Islands Homecare?
All Islands Homecare believes in providing you with home care that is the right fit for your family. We will make certain that you receive the best possible care in the comfort of your home by hiring only the best and most qualified caregivers in the area. You can rely on us for short-term and long-term senior safety, companionship, emotional support, proper nutrition, medication reminders, and much more. Read more about our mission and philosophy. Find more great reasons why you should choose All Islands Homecare as your provider!
4. What kind of aide do I need?
To determine what type of home care aide you or your loved one will need, a Service Coordinator will do a comprehensive assessment that will be created with the family and doctor or physician to design a written “plan of care” specifically for the patient. This document will outline the patient’s preferences and needs, including specific tasks and daily activities to be carried out by one of our caring and compassionate trained home health aide or personal care aide.
5. Does Preferred Home Care offer live-in aides?
Absolutely. You can rely on our live-in aides to stay with you or your loved one for an extended period of time to always be available in case of an emergency.
6. What if I live in an assisted living facility or in a nursing home
Our services can be provided wherever you or your loved one lives—whether it be in a nursing home, an assisted living facility or even in a retirement community.
7. Do you have home health aides or personal care aides that have experience with dementia?
Yes, our home health aides or personal care aides are educated and experienced to care for patients with various issues such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, depression, hospice care, diabetes, Parkinson’s, injuries and other chronic issues.
8. Do I have to sign a service contract?
Yes, you are required to sign a service contract. This allows you the freedom to use our services for only as long as you need!
9. How do I set up services for myself or a loved one?
Call All Islands Homecare at 808-829-3192 and we will make certain that you receive the best possible care in the comfort of your home. We will take care of all of the details and do whatever it takes to assure a smooth transition.
10. How quickly can you provide me with a home health aide or personal care aide?
We can provide you with a home health aide available to work at any time or day. Depending on the specific request, availability of certain caregivers may be based on their schedule.
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Homecare Services
Whether you’re looking for companionship, a live-in aide, hospice care, bathing, toileting, or grooming assistance for yourself or a loved one, we’ll be sure to match you with qualified in-home care tailored to your personal preferences and needs. Learn more about our home care services to get started.