FAQs

Every person is different. While many people remain independent well into their 80s, others need more help. Some things to look for when visiting an elderly loved one include: Is the house tidy? Do they have healthy groceries (not just frozen dinners)? Have you noticed any weight loss? Has personal hygiene declined? Are there any concerns with memory? These are only a few things to consider when you’re thinking about personal care assistance. A great resource is the person’s primary care physician. Often, a primary care physician will be the first person to raise the idea of senior care management.

Personal care assistants cannot do anything that would be described as clinical or invasive. Most importantly, they cannot administer any medications. If someone requires insulin or other injections, they will need to self-administer or have a family member do so. Also, a caregiver should not be monitoring vitals such as blood sugar levels or blood pressure.

It depends on the type of help that you need. If your doctor has prescribed clinical help that would be administered by a registered nurse, physical therapist or occupational therapist, this qualifies as home health care, which Medicare will cover. While you’re under the care of an in-home clinician, a home health aide or other caregiver can be assigned under Medicare coverage for bathing and certain other types of personal care.

Medicare will not pay for help with daily living activities such as non-prescribed personal care, meal preparation, medication reminders or housekeeping. The typical insurance that does cover these services is long-term care insurance, which is privately purchased. Some Medicare Advantage plans also cover in-home personal care. You can also check whether you qualify for care through workers’ compensation insurance, veterans benefits or other government programs.

Yes, we do. We first arrange a meeting to conduct a thorough assessment and develop a care management plan. This is to fully understand what activities you’d like to have completed and to get a sense of what kind of personality would work best for your situation. After this is completed, we’ll match you with a caregiver. If at any time you’d like to change your caregiver, this can easily be arranged.

Hourly costs vary by region and by the level of care required. You can download a document here that provides detailed information on senior care costs and various ways to help manage them. You can also speak with a member of our care team who can provide additional information. If you receive services through community care, the government agency is billed directly.

We serve cities and communities in the Central Coast of California, providing care for families throughout Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties.

Yes. We are part of the Addus HomeCare Family of Companies. The Addus Family of Companies provides personal care, home health, hospice, palliative care and house calls across the United States. Addus is currently one of the nation’s top providers of home care services. We are proud to provide expertly trained care teams and some of the most experienced caregivers in the country.