Frequently Asked Questions
What areas do you serve?
We serve people of all ages in their residence in the Columbus, Georgia
metropolitan area, and surrounding communities to include parts of Lee
and Russell counties in Alabama. This may include private homes,
retirement communities, hospitals, skilled nursing or rehabilitation
facilities.
What’s the difference between private duty home health care and ordinary home health care?
Private duty home health care is private pay or private
insurance pay that includes the custodial care, service and support for
any age or individual, including children, in their place of
residence.
Non-private “Home health care” is for Medicare or Medicaid
patients who need intermittent skilled care for a limited period of
time. This home health care is 100% reimbursable by the government if
the individual is homebound and qualifies for the skilled home health
benefit. Many times our services are needed in addition to these
service providers to ensure all the client’s needs are met.
Does my insurance cover the cost of private home health care?
Many individuals have private health insurance or Long-term Care
policies that cover private home health care. It depends upon
your individual policy. We will be pleased to follow up and
verify your home health coverage and bill your insurance coverage
directly if you and your insurance company agree to this arrangement.
What is the cost of private home health care?
The cost is based on the level of care to be provided. Our
Director of Services will be pleased to make a complimentary in-home
assessment to evaluate your loved one’s unique needs and let you know
specifically what the cost will be for the service care
needed.
How do you screen and select your caregivers, companions, and skilled professionals prior to an assignment?
All applicants are carefully screened through the following
process: Initial screening is by telephone or computerized
application. Selected applicants are interviewed by several staff
members in the office. Remaining applicants will undergo thorough
examination through criminal, abuse & neglect, background,
reference, and motor vehicle checks. Once an applicant has met all of
our hiring requirements they begin our comprehensive orientation
program at which time we obtain a drug screen and medical
history. Each caregiver is then carefully screened, matched and
oriented to meet and exceed each client’s specific needs.
Are they employees of Care Matters, or independent contractors?
All caregivers, nurses, and ancillary staff are direct
employees of Care Matters. All staff are covered by workman’s
comprehensive and professional liability insurances, and employer’s
portion of taxes are paid by Care Matters.
What type of training is provided to your employees?
Homemaker - Companions offer life experience and/or previous
professional experience. CNA’s & PCA’s must have a minimum
of 40 hours of training, and all skilled caregivers must be able to
present verifiable certification in the state of Georgia. Care Matters
then provides comprehensive training in exceptional care, service and
support with on-going training and testing to ensure our employees are
knowledgeable and capable of providing the best care possible.
How often are caregiver services monitored?
Caregiver services are monitored through daily reports given by
caregivers to the Director of Services regarding anything unusual
concerning the client’s health, behavior or circumstances. Daily Care
and Observation records are maintained by caregivers and turned into
the office on a weekly basis for review and are stored in the client’s
master file. Supervisory visits are made by the Director of Services to
the home with the frequency determined by the skill level required,
the acuity level of the patient, and requirements of the state.
Do you provide an in-home consultation prior to the start of service?
Yes, we will have the Director of Services make a complimentary
home visit prior to the start of services. This can be for evaluation
and consultation with a pending decision, or specifically to do the
evaluation / assessment for the start of services.
Will there be a written plan outlining the duties of the caregiver?
Yes, during the initial assessment the Director of Services will
collaborate with you, and or your loved one, to develop a thorough
plan of care for the services that are to be provided. A client folder
containing the client’s specific care plan is created and kept at the
residence so each caregiver and family member has access to all
information necessary to provide the best continuum of care
possible.
Will I see the same caregivers every week for shifts or visits if needed?
Our goal is to provide continuity of care for our clients and we
strive to have the same caregivers care for their assigned clients on a
continual basis. At times there may be extenuating circumstances
that affect the continuity that we expect; however, we will inform you
of that at the time and offer to send another qualified caregiver so
you are still able to receive the care you depend on.
Do your caregivers follow a dress code?
All field staff are expected to wear our professional uniform of
khaki work pants and polo shirt with embroidered company logo. A
picture id badge identifying their name, discipline and that they
represent Care Matters are to be visibly worn.
Can caregivers drive me to appointments and outings?
Yes, they can if it is written in your service or care plan by
the Director of Services, after securing written authorization from the
client or family member on the service agreement that is signed to the
time of the assessment. All staff are required to have
automobile insurance with a copy in their personnel file which Care Matters monitors for currency.
Does an agency representative make regular visits to the client's home?
Yes, the Director of Services will, as often as needed, to be
able to safely and competently meet the unique needs of each
client/patient and their loved ones and to meet and exceed state
licensing and accreditation standards.
Does the agency adhere to state and federal
guidelines in their employment practices, such as: withholding
appropriate taxes, providing workers' compensation and other benefits?
Care Matters adheres to all local, state and federal laws and regulations for a licensed non-medical private duty home care agency.
How does Care Matters handle conflicts or client complaints?
We are committed to handling any conflict or complaint
immediately. Our goal is for a positive resolution as soon as
possible. We acknowledge and honor that we are guests in our
client homes and respect that there may be times when we need to alter
staffing arrangements or the plan of care based on feedback that we
receive from field staff, clients and families. At our start of
care visit, we ask for your feedback as soon as you realize that there
is an issue or challenge, so we can resolve it that day or as soon as
possible.
How are emergencies handled after normal business hours?
We have a staff member on call after office hours each
evening and on the weekends for supervision, consultative clinical
questions and for staffing coordination. For a true emergency,
it’s best to call 911, so that an immediate local emergency response
team can be at your home within minutes of the call.