Senior Helpers FAQ
In what New Jersey areas are your in-home care services available?
Senior Helpers serves Monmouth County and Middlesex County in New Jersey.
Who needs in-home care?
People who need additional help with their daily living activities and want to stay at home rather than be institutionalized or live with relatives. In other cases, it could be people whose family caregiver needs a respite or time off from their care giving responsibilities.
How much does the New Jersey in-home care service cost?
We bill on an hourly basis most of the time. The hours required to properly care for your loved one will be determined on the initial assessment interview and reviewed on an ongoing basis. Please contact us at 1-732-866-4488 or email info@inhomecarenj.net for more information about our pricing.
Who runs the business?
You'll be happy to know that Senior Helpers of Monmouth and Middlesex Counties is co-owned by Marc and LouAnn Levine.
Are your services covered by Medicare?
Unfortunately not. Medicare only covers acute skilled care, usually after a hospital stay. We can work in conjunction with your Medicare provider to ensure your loved one is receiving the appropriate amount of care.
How does in-home care cost compare to assisted-living or nursing homes?
Most of the time, our in-home care services will cost less than those of assisted-living facilities or nursing homes. We can tailor a schedule specifically to meet the needs of our clients - so you are only paying for what you need.
Do you provide care in facilities also?
Yes! We can provide our caregivers to attend to your loved-one in hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, long-term rehabilitation facilities and other places.
Is your New Jersey agency licensed?
Yes! Senior Helpers operates under the requirements of the law and is appropriately licensed based on local regulations.
Are you licensed by the state of New Jersey as a Health Care Services Firm?
Yes! Senior Helpers Services is licensed as a Health Care Services Firm, meeting the state's requirements for home health care agencies.
How do you select your caregivers?
All of our New Jersey caregivers are carefully interviewed and screened prior to becoming employees of Senior Helpers.
How long does it take to get a caregiver?
We will meet with you for an initial interview to assess your needs. After we fully understand what you are looking for, we can place a caregiver within a very short period of time. We are continuously interviewing, qualifying, and training caregivers to be sure we can meet your particular needs.
What if my in-home caregiver is sick or goes on vacation?
We have a large staff of excellent in-home caregivers on backup that are ready on a moment's notice in case of sickness, emergency, or any other reason.
Can I meet the in-home caregiver in advance?
Yes! Part of our in-home care service is being able to match the right caregiver with the personality of your loved one. We cover this topic during the initial interview so we can get a head start on selecting the right caregiver. We are very good at building relationships!
Who pays the caregiver and how do they get paid?
All of our caregivers are employees of Senior Helpers. We simply invoice you for the services rendered and we take care of paying the caregivers, along with the taxes, insurance, benefits and other administrative requirements.
Why should I use your service instead of someone in the newspaper?
There are multiple reasons why selecting Senior Helpers is your most beneficial option:
- Our caregivers are our employees. That means they have been carefully screened and are bonded and insured. You don't have to worry about the quality of the caregiver or about the liability of having someone in your home - we take that responsibility.
- We have backup. If the caregiver is sick or has an emergency, we have someone ready to step in his or her place - so you don't have to!
- We have trained professionals on our staff. Besides our caregivers, we have a trained, professional in-house staff to ensure our operations run smoothly and to address any of your concerns while we are caring for your loved one.
- We continually monitor the relationship. From the first day of service, we create a detailed "care plan" that our staff uses to ensure we are achieving the care goals specified during the assessment interview. We follow-up with the client and caregiver on a regular basis.
Is there a minimum number of hours per week that are required to retain services?
Senior Helpers provides services to suit the needs of the client, from 3-24 hours, including live-in services.
Is it possible to obtain in-home care services for my mom for 1 week while I am away on business?
Yes! Senior Helpers is ready to provide services on a need basis. We request 1 week advance notice for intermittent services.
How are your in-home caregivers accountable for their work schedule?
We have a service that requires our caregivers to call in so we know when the caregiver arrives and departs.
What forms of payment do you accept?
Senior Helpers invoices weekly with detail regarding days and hours of service, and the name of the staff member. We accept MC, Visa, and checks. We also have the ability to work with Long Term Care Insurance Companies.
How often do you bill for your in-home care services?
All invoices are itemized with the date and time of service to ensure that you are only paying for the home care services you have already received. Billing is done on a bi-weekly basis.
Do you offer an Hourly, Overnight or 24 hour a day / live-in home care service packages?
Yes! Senior Helpers is a full service home care provider offering customized hourly, overnight and live-in services at a reduced daily rate.
Are your services available for the elderly in nursing home and or assisted living facilities?
Yes! We can enter a facility and offer supplementary services. We assist many individuals and couples through their rehabilitation in conjunction with the facility staff.
What type of information is available to the client and his or her family regarding the in-home care they are receiving?
All of our employees are required to keep a daily log and/or daily activity sheet. Your aide will record dates and times of service as well as a description of all services provided. This information can be viewed by at any time by the client and his or her family.
Does your New Jersey office have a supervisor "on call" at all times?
Yes! We have a trained supervisor on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week including holidays.
Can I change in-home caregivers?
Yes! You can, at any time, request to change your home health aide or companion caregiver.
Do you schedule the same caregiver for each visit?
Yes! We like to build relationships and continuity of care is a very important aspect to doing just that.
Are your New Jersey employees crime bonded and covered by professional liability insurance?
Yes! All of our employees are individually insured through our professional liability insurance policy and are fully bonded for your peace of mind and protection.
Do you provide your employees with workers' compensation coverage, in the event they are hurt on the job? If not, will my homeowner's insurance policy be responsible for that coverage?
Since all of our home health aides and companion caregivers are fully employed by Senior Helpers Services we take care of workers' compensation insurance. This eliminates the burdensome paperwork families would be faced with if they were to hire someone directly or through a brokerage agency that does not fully employ their caregivers. Since most homeowner policies do not cover injury to workers in your New Jersey home, it also eliminates the burden and liability to the consumer.
Do you withhold social security, federal, state and local taxes, or am I responsible for those charges?
Since all of our home health aides and companion caregivers are fully employed we take care of social security, disability and all income tax withholdings. This eliminates burdensome paperwork and tax liabilities that families would be faced with if they were to hire someone directly or through a brokerage agency / registry that does not fully employee their caregivers.
Do you do criminal background check on all of you employees?
Yes! Once an applicant completes the first stage of the interview process we do a criminal background check on all candidates before moving forward.
Do I need to sign a contract?
If, after an initial assessment you decide to retain our services, we will clearly outline what you have selected in a Service Agreement. This agreement ensures that everyone involved has a clear understanding of the in-home care we will be providing.
Is the Service Agreement long term?
Due to the nature of the in-home care services we provide to our clients, we offer flexible agreement terms that only requires a 72 hour notice for any changes or cancellations of service. There is no long term commitment or contract required.
