Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of services do SeniorBridge home health care workers and companions provide?

Our Caregivers provide or assist with personal grooming, toileting and bathing. They prepare meals and can assist with feeding as needed. They help clients with walking, transfers, and exercise. They can remind and assist with medications that are pre-poured by our Nurse or family members. Our Caregivers provide socialization, escort clients to appointments, do light housekeeping and laundry. They can also shop and run errands if needed. SeniorBridge makes every effort to tailor our in-home services to meet our clients’ individual needs. We can recruit and train staff for special assignments.

Will homecare workers and companions drive my parents to appointments or to go shopping?

SeniorBridge caregivers can drive your parents to appointments in your parents’ car, or they can arrange to accompany them in another mode of transportation. SeniorBridge homecare staff, however, may not leave your parents alone to do the shopping or run errands, if this will compromise your parents’ safety. If needed, we can help make other arrangements to accomplish these tasks.

How do I know that the care givers who come into my home are trustworthy?

SeniorBridge has a very stringent hiring process. Only about five percent of those applying for work at SeniorBridge are hired to work as caregivers with our clients. SeniorBridge Caregivers must pass a credit check, drug test, background check, and driving record check before they begin their competency and orientation process.

How can I be assured that the homecare workers and companions you send to take care of my parents will know what to do?

All our home care staff must pass a Clinical Competency test, which evaluates their skills and knowledge. Professional staff carefully review the plan of care with the care giver assigned and conduct an onsite orientation, making certain that the caregiver fully understands the required tasks and that your parents and the caregiver are clear about the assigned duties and responsibilities. On occasion, however, clients have circumstances or needs which may require additional training. Our professional staff is available to provide extra training and we can recruit for caregivers with specialized experience.

How often are the homecare workers and companions supervised?

Upon beginning a new assignment, every homecare worker receives an in-person introduction and orientation to the client’s care plan. Our computerized caregiver tracking system lets us know the time of arrival, time of departure and what activities each caregiver performs at a client’s home. SeniorBridge Professional staff provide onsite supervision of each homecare worker, at a minimum, every sixty days. Our clients, however, often require more professional involvement with their care which usually leads to considerably more supervision of their homecare workers.

What is the difference between hourly and live-in service?

The client is charged a flat daily rate for the live-in and an hourly rate for other workers. The live-in homecare worker is paid on the basis of approximately 10 hours of intermittent work during a 24-hour period. The hourly worker is paid for the number of hours they are on assignment. The live-in is available primarily during waking hours, must have a place to sleep and be able to get adequate rest at night. If the client with live-in service needs more supervision or personal care at night, an additional worker can be assigned to provide respite.

Am I responsible for providing meals for the home care workers?

Clients provide full room and board for live-in homecare workers. Hourly workers bring their own food unless the family requests otherwise. Families may not want the caregiver to bring food from the outside or they want the caregiver to share the meal with the client.

How are the home care workers paid? What about vacation and Holidays?

Our homecare workers are employees of SeniorBridge. They may not receive any funds from clients. They are eligible for vacation and holiday benefits. They receive time and a half when they work on a SeniorBridge designated holiday.

What happens if I want to change the homecare worker?

We will make every effort to provide you with a home care worker who is compatible with you and we encourage you to call if you want to change homecare workers.

What happens if the homecare worker or companion can’t come to work?

The homecare worker or companion will give the office as much notice as possible so that a suitable substitute can be located. Even if it is a case of a last minute emergency call off, SeniorBridge will provide coverage.