Collaborative Home Care FAQ

Home care provides several benefits to older adults and their families.

Personalized, One on One Care: Your caregiver’s entire focus is on your loved one, helping them to live independently and live life how they would prefer. Your caregiver can assist with all personal care needs and provide a helping hand around the house. Your care plan is personalized and based on a schedule that is convenient for you.

You Remain at Home: As the name implies, with home care, you will be living at home. Ninety percent of Americans 65 and older want to stay at home for as long as possible. Among the familiarity of one’s home, older adults can live in an environment that is comfortable, which can improve mood, feelings of independence, and overall confidence.

Preventing Falls and Other Accidents: Falls can happen while attempting everyday tasks such as getting into and out of the shower or walking up a flight of stairs. Your caregiver will be there to assist with these common tasks and identify other potential hazards around the home that could cause injury and potential hospital visit.

Keeping You Healthy, Mentally and Physically: Caregivers help older adults stay healthy by preparing health-conscious meals, reminding when medications need to be taken, and through engaging conversation. As a reliable companion, a caregiver can facilitate participation in activities and exercise in the home and out at social gatherings to mitigate risks of social isolation.

Lowered Risk of Infection: By receiving care at home, the number of people the older adult will come in contact with on a regular basis is drastically less as compared with senior care facilities.

Relief for Family Caregivers: Caregivers can relieve a family caregiver for periods of time to allow them to rest, refresh and take care of other responsibilities.

We accept private pay (e.g. credit card, ACH transfer, check) and long-term care insurance.

Our owner is certified in Long Term Insurance, so we can help you understand your long-term care insurance policy, including important aspects to familiarize yourself such as the benefit-eligible criteria, daily/weekly/monthly benefit amount, the elimination period, and the total policy amount.  We can file claims with the insurance company on your behalf.  Call us at any time or submit our inquiry form to start the discussion on your policy.

Our caregivers go through a thorough interview and screening process. We verify their references, conduct background checks, and perform a drug test. We look for caregivers that have a passion for helping others and who possess the values we think are critical to elder care: compassion, reliability, trustworthiness, accountability, and professionalism.

Yes, we can provide care wherever your loved one lives.

Our main goal is to provide consistent, high-level care to our clients. As such, we employ a team approach to each client, meaning that behind your primary caregiver will be a team of supporting caregivers who will be ready to care for your loved one in the event your primary caregiver is unable to make a visit. We use an internal care management software system that allows our caregivers to easily view prior care log notes and get up to speed on a client’s care plan. This helps to ensure continuity of care for all our clients.

When you work with an agency like Collaborative, we handle and manage all of the behind-the-scenes administrative, employment, and safety considerations you may not readily think of.

• We conduct criminal background checks and drug screening.

• Our caregivers are bonded and insured – your homeowner’s policy likely does not cover injuries to people working in your home.

• We handle all payments/salaries to your caregiver.

• We pay the required state and federal payroll taxes, unemployment insurance, and worker’s compensation.

• We provide ongoing training and supervision of our caregivers.

We will contact you on a regular basis to check-in and ensure you are happy with our service. Our office team will also visit your home during a scheduled care visit to ensure quality care. You will also receive quality assurance calls from an outside satisfaction research and quality assurance company.

Yes, we invest the professional growth of our caregivers. All caregivers go through an initial orientation and training program, that includes topics such as Infectious Disease Control and Food Safety. Our caregivers also go through an Alzheimer’s and dementia training program. Our training program far exceeds state requirements.

Our internal care management software system includes a mobile GPS clock-in/clock-out feature to record arrival and departure from each client’s home phone. Upon clocking in for a visit, the caregiver receives a reminder from the system of all tasks to be completed. Upon clocking out, the caregiver confirms that tasks were completed.

Yes, someone is available 24/7 for urgent or emergency issues. Call our office at (203) 542-2808, and you will be connected with someone who can help.