Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Elder Care Services?
Members of our professional home support team are educated in the fields of nursing, social work, psychology and gerontology. Our Care Managers hold certification as Care Managers, certified through the National Academy of Certified Care Managers and have extensive clinical experience working with older adults. Our highly trained staff and care management team provide a quality of care unsurpassed in the area of geriatric care management at the least expensive rates in Connecticut.
How are Elder Care Associate's home health support services different from those at other agencies?
Most of our employees come to us by referral and many are long-term employees. Our company provides professional liability insurance and bonding, and insures our employees to transport clients as necessary. We conduct criminal background checks and request written and verbal references and test their written knowledge of basic geriatric aide care prior to employment. Our Home Health Aides (HHA) are required to have completed a certification program and ongoing in-service training. Our Home Support Team provides our aides with education and techniques on how to work with individuals who may be resistant to accepting care. We understand that not every employee is a perfect fit for every case. Therefore, we work hard to match our employee’s personality to the older adult.Our HHA’s are required to clock in and out through our computerized phone system. If an employee is late for a particular appointment, we are in immediate contact with the clients. Our scheduling process is very flexible/personal and our Director is trained in the care of older adults.
Do I have to use the services of Care Manager in order to use Elder Care's home support staff?
With the addition of Elder Care Associates, home care clients are no longer required to use Elder Care Consulting's Case Management services if you choose to use Elder Care Associates' home support staff. Elder Care Associates home support staff will now be supervised and monitored by one of Elder Care Associates' supervisors on a quarterly basis at no additional charge to you; however, Elder Care Associates' supervisors will be focusing on employment related issues and client satisfaction only.
What are the benefits of using a Geriatric Care Manager?
Members of our Geriatric Care Management Team are available to assist in implementing the agreed upon plan of care, to educate home health assistants, to help clients maintain health and independence and to provide ongoing education to clients and their families. Once you are a client of our organization, our Care Managers are available to support and counsel families through many different types of situations. We also help clients through transitions, including in and out of hospitalizations, supporting and advocating for their personal decisions.
Why would I continue to use ECC Care Management services for my family member if I don’t have to do so?
Members of our Elder Care Consulting Geriatric Care Management Team will continue to be available to assist in implementing the agreed upon plan of care, to educate home health assistants, help clients maintain health and independence, to provide on-going education to clients and their families. Our Care Managers are available to support and counsel families through many different types of situations. We help clients to transition in and out of hospitalizations, advocating and supporting their personal decisions.
Our Care Managers hold certification in the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers and have extensive clinical experience working with older adults. While not required, we continue to believe that the partnership between our professional Care Managers and our Home Support Staff provides the most comprehensive, individualized level of care.
While keeping Care Management services may seem more expensive at the outset, over time, we find that the costs associated with professional charges decrease, and that the daily rate of the Home Support Services becomes very comparable to other agencies, even when considering the associated professional care management fees.
For example, our live-in rates are $215-245.00 daily, depending on the level of care required by a client. A member of the care management team may spend 2-3 hours in the first month orienting and educating an aide to a client’s specific needs. Once the correct fit is found, it is assured that the client’s needs will be met, and the aide and the client are matched well. In future visits, the Care Manager may only see a need to provide an hour’s worth of care management monthly to assure that needs are being met and that care is coordinated. This averages out to an additional $3.17/ per day. The value added is the peace of mind associated with the knowledge that each client’s situation has professional monitoring and the aides have education related specifically to each family’s needs.
Will I be charged for scheduling changes?
There are no fees for communication related to scheduling support staff or associated scheduling changes.
Will long-term care insurance cover the cost of Elder Care Services?
Some long-term care (LTC) insurance policies will pay for in-home services. We will work with your LTC insurance provider to have your claim paid on a regular, timely basis. Having worked with a variety of LTC insurance providers, our professionals can assist you through the reimbursement process or process the paperwork for you.
Do you have a specific question that we did not answer?
We welcome your questions so please feel free to call us as (860) 643-9500 or email us at scheduler@eldercareassociatesllc.com