Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is in-home care?
A. In home care encompasses a broad range of non-medical personal care and support services provided to maturing seniors, health-challenged individuals, and disabled adults in their own residence. Support is provided by a professional caregivers who assist the care recipient with everyday tasks they can no longer manage themselves.
Q. What’s the difference between home care and home health care?
A. Home Care provides non-medical care to individuals in their own home. This type of “custodial” care focuses on helping individuals with their activities of daily living (ADLs), such as dressing, bathing, and meals. The majority of costs are usually covered by private pay.
Home Health Care is physician-prescribed care involving skilled nursing, physical therapy, or other treatment performed by licensed medical professionals. Home health care is designed to help seniors (or other patients) recuperate from an injury, illness, or surgery, and does not include custodial care. The majority of costs are usually paid by government healthcare programs or private insurance.
Q. Do you have to be licensed to operate a home care agency?
A. Yes. Per passage of the Home Care Services Consumer Protection Act, effective January 1, 2016, all non-medical home care agencies, now referred to as a Home Care Organization (HCO) by the state, must be licensed with the State of California. Additionally, all caregivers working for a Home Care Organization must be registered on the California State Registry. The State of California refers to caregivers as Home Care Aide’s.
Q. Explain the difference in the “Care Options” you offer.
A. Our Care Options allow us to segment the variety of care coverage we provide. Outside of our basic care shifts, we offer our clients a range of additional assisted living options. For instance, we provide specialized 1- or 2-hour service calls and bathing visits, as well as 12- or 24-hour Continuous Care shifts. If you choose our morning & evening service, we’ll be there to assist when you wake up and when you go bed. You have full control over the frequency of care, from a one-time visit to everyday care, always at the time and place of your choosing. We also provide pre- and post-surgery assistance, travel companions, and respite care.
Q. What is Respite Care?
A. By definition, “respite” means taking a break or short rest period. Our Respite Care provides temporary relief to family members from the duties of caring for an aging senior or health-challenged adult. Our qualified CareGivers will tend to the care recipient for a determined period of time, allowing the primary CareGiver(s) to have some quality time to themselves. It is essential that family CareGivers get reprieves from their duties. Numerous studies confirm that CareGivers experience elevated risks of anxiety, depression, hospitalization, and premature aging. These heath risks increase significantly when the care recipient is afflicted with dementia or chronic health issues.
Q. What home care services does AngeliCare provide?
A. We provide a wide range of services, segmented into the following four categories: Companion Care, Personal Care, Household Management, and Specialty Services. Please see our AngeliCare Services for a detailed listing of all care options and services.
Q. Do you offer a Live-In Service?
A. No. As an agency, we believe it is in the best interests of our clients to no longer provide live-in service. However, we do offer 12-hour and 24-hour shifts, and we welcome the opportunity to discuss the advantages of our 24/7 Continuous Care.
Q. Do you offer transportation services?
A. Yes. This is a very important part of our personal care service. Many of our clients no longer drive, and they rely on our service to reach doctor’s appointments, church, grocery stores, or just to enjoy a leisurely drive. Our CareGivers can transport clients in their own car or in the CareGiver’s car. If the CareGiver’s car is used, mileage charges are applicable. Each of our CareGivers are required to have a valid driver’s license and appropriate insurance coverage.
Q. When are your home care services available?
A. All of our care options and subsequent services are available around the clock. We offer a highly flexible, versatile scheduling system that can accommodate any care need or coverage required by our clients or their family.
Q. What areas do you serve and what are your hours of operation?
A. Our office is located in Fresno, and our services are available throughout most of Fresno and Madera counties. Our office hours are Monday-Friday, 9AM to 5PM PST. Clients always have 24/7 access to a management team member. If an emergency occurs and our office is closed, you will be directed to an emergency number, which will be answered by a management team member.
Q. Do you impose any type of service minimums?
A. We do not have hourly or weekly minimums, nor do we require long-term contracts. Our standard care shift is four hours, and we offer hourly care and specialty visits ranging from 1 to 3 hours.
Q. What are the costs of your services?
A. We have a flexible pricing structure that offers a variety of rate options, including bracketed hourly pricing, overnight rates and specialty visit rates. If you are interested in our services, please contact our office to discuss your care needs. Once we have a clear understanding of your situation, we can provide you with a cost estimate over the phone. Upon completion of the free in-home assessment, we’ll be able to provide you with a finalized cost quote.
Q. Does Medicare or MediCal pay for your services?
A. Unfortunately no. Home Care is considered “custodial care,” and neither Medicare nor MediCal (California’s version of Medicaid) will pay for this type of service.
Q. Do you accept any type of insurance?
A. We do accept Long Term Care (LTC) and Workman’s Compensation (WC) insurance, and we have an established relationship with most major LTC and WC carriers.
Q. How do you select your CareGivers?
A. First and foremost, any caregivers must be registered on the State Home Care Aide registry. All Home Care Aide’s have been Live Scanned (fingerprint background check) and pass TB tests. Besides the requirements of the registry, we follow a rigorous in-house screening and selection process when choosing our team members. Although we have pre-determined qualifications and skills criteria, we only hire compassionate, dependable individuals who truly enjoy working with seniors. We receive a high volume of applicants, but very few are offered a position on our team. Please visit our Careers page to learn more about our employment standards.
Q. What kind of training do you provide to your CareGivers?
A. Before any CareGiver is assigned to a client, they must go through a rigorous company indoctrination and training program. Initial training includes numerous professional trade courses, including our in-house Dementia Training Program. All of our CareGivers are trained to the highest standards and our ongoing education and training process ensures that our CareGivers are constantly improving their skills and building their knowledge.
Q. Can you explain how you match CareGivers and clients?
A. We use a combination of technology, psychology, and intuition when matching clients and CareGivers. Many variables are considered, including the client’s care needs, personality traits, the CareGiver’s skill sets, life experiences, availability and mannerisms. Many years of experience have helped us to hone our intuitive matching skills.
Q. What happens if the CareGiver isn’t working out?
A. In the event that a match doesn’t work, we immediately search for a replacement. The placement process is repeated until both the client and the CareGiver are satisfied with the pairing.
Q. My father lives in a senior facility but could use some extra personal care. Can you help?
A. Absolutely. We provide service to any type of residence or facility, including hospitals. Wherever your loved one calls “home,” our CareGivers can visit to ensure their comfort, safety, and wellness.
Q How do your safeguard a client’s privacy and prevent identity theft?
A. We follow specific company guidelines and policies to protect each client’s privacy and personal information (medical or otherwise) throughout all levels of our agency. Every aspect of correspondence involving client information is treated as private and confidential. We never inform, divulge, or release any type of client information without direct authorization from the client, guardian, or legal representative. Our company is HIPPA compliant, requiring that every AngeliCare associate is indoctrinated and trained accordingly. Additionally, as a preventative measure, all discarded client-related information, regardless of content, is deleted, erased, or shredded.
Q What’s the difference between an independent CareGiver and an agency?
A. While they may seem very similar, there are actually some significant differences. An independent, or private CareGiver, works for themselves and deals directly with the care recipient and/or the family. The only true benefit to hiring a private CareGiver is cost.
Independent CareGivers usually aren’t insured or bonded, and it can be very difficult to verify their personal history and work experience. Considering that this individual will have unsupervised access to you or a loved one, including the home and all belongings, this is not a decision to be taken lightly. In an agency setting like AngeliCare, CareGivers are screened, experienced, bonded, and insured. They are hand-picked, well-trained individuals who are supervised and monitored by our management team.
Q. What happens if the CareGiver is sick or doesn’t show?
A. Our CareGivers are not permitted to work when sick, but regardless of the reason, if your scheduled CareGiver can’t make it, they will be replaced with another qualified, professional CareGiver.
Q. How are you different than a nursing home?
A. We offer an alternative to the traditional “retirement” system that was forced upon previous generations. At AngeliCare, we follow a “healthy aging in place” care process, which allows seniors to maintain their independence and remain in their own home for as long as possible. This results in happier, healthier, and more self-respecting seniors. Our care system utilizes professional CareGivers who visit the client’s residence to assist them with everyday tasks they can no longer manage themselves. We offer seniors the chance to be self-sufficient and remain in control of their life.
Q. Are home care agencies required to be supervised by a registered nurse?
A. No. Home Care agencies provide only non-medical service, which means that nursing supervision or management is unessential. Many home care agencies are owned and/or managed by nurses, who then advertise their credentials accordingly. All primary care is fulfilled by CareGivers, who are integral to the client’s wellness. When considering an agency, you should inquire about their employment standards, screening process, training levels, and compliance policies required of their CareGivers. Other focal points include the care process, established history, and legality.
Q. Is your agency insured and CareGivers insured?
A. Yes. Our agency carries general and professional liability insurance. All of our CareGivers are dedicated company employees who are bonded and covered by Workman’s Compensation Insurance.