Home Care Frequently Asked Questions

A Care Manager is a social worker, nurse, gerontologist, or mental health professional who acts as a guide for families as they navigate the aging process. They have in-depth knowledge of healthcare and related complex systems, including health insurance, referrals, housing and transportation support, transfers to specialty and rehabilitation care, financial issues and more. The bottom line is that Care Managers enhance the quality of caregiving services. They provide unbiased advice and expertise in the assessment, plan development, coordination, and monitoring of elder care services to ensure the highest quality of care.

Professional Caregivers can support seniors at home in a variety of ways, including companionship, personal and hygienic care, medication reminders, meal preparation, transportation, and light housekeeping. Caregivers can provide support on an hourly basis or on a live-in basis.

At Arosa, we know that the integration of care management and caregiving at home leads to higher satisfaction for individuals and their families. Our senior care services combine the expertise of professional Care Managers with the compassion and skills of dedicated Caregivers to deliver better experiences for seniors and their families.

One significant benefit of care management is peace of mind. Most people feel that they should be able to manage all aspects of the eldercare situation, but there are so many moving pieces that it’s no easy task. Having somebody who has both the experience and the training across many disciplines makes a real difference and can provide great relief for family members.

Another benefit is that having a Care Manager at your side can help you use your time and money wisely. Care managers can also identify where a client might be at risk and create interventions to lower that risk.

There are a variety of ways to engage a caregiver. The first option is to hire someone privately. The second option is through the use of a registry, which is a type of organization that provides you with a list of candidates. The third option involves using an organization that acts as the home care agency.

The last—and most beneficial—approach to home care is a care-managed agency.
Arosa is a care-managed agency. A care-managed agency:

• provides more quality assurance
• pays special attention to home care issues
• looks at every aspect of your loved one’s situation to determine how we can enhance quality of life, reduce risk, and create a better home care experience.

When people are exploring home care, one of the very first questions that come up is, “How is this going to be paid for?” The assumption is that Medicare will pay for it. Unfortunately, Medicare doesn’t cover home care. So families have to pay for it out of pocket. However, there may be programs available to help cover the costs of the care that’s needed.

These include public benefits, long-term care insurance, workers’ compensation, legal settlements, reverse annuity mortgages, and specific veterans’ programs. Be sure to consult with an Arosa professional to see if you qualify for any of these programs.

Everybody’s situation is unique. Your loved one’s home care is based on what their needs are, their and your preferences, and what levels of risk you face. The first step is meeting with a professional, somebody who can understand what the needs are and formulate a plan for how to address those needs in a way that will be sustainable.

It’s smart to act sooner rather than later. Finding home care for a loved one isn’t easy, and often families put off these decisions because they’re too overwhelming to deal with. Then they have to make decisions quickly after a significant health event requires that they find care immediately. Starting now opens up the number of options that are available to you and your loved one.

It’s all about knowing your options while figuring out and learning as much as you can about what’s within the realm of possibility. The type of home care is often driven by what your loved one’s needs and preferences are, as well as what’s important to you. Is it time? Is it money? Is it peace of mind? Is it quality? Is it safety? These factors will all influence your decision-making process.

Finding someone who’s skilled in providing home care is your best option. It’s beneficial to have a third party who can sit down with you and understand what’s important to you and your loved one. A skilled Care Manager can easily address your needs and create a balanced plan that will be sustainable for everybody involved.

The first step is to think about the specific tasks that the person needs assistance with and what amount of time is required per task. Next, think about the level of care your loved one needs. Do they require skilled nursing care? Do they require someone to give injections? Or do they just need help with day-to-day activities and companionship?

It’s important to work with somebody who can listen to you and provide guidance and direction. Then employ experienced professionals to help you put together a plan.

Care Managers perform various tasks which are customized to the needs and preferences of our clients. Our Care Managers provide socialization activities by first identifying how we can improve our client’s quality of life. We are also involved in organizing medications and making sure that our clients take them properly and on time.

Sometimes families don’t see eye to eye, and this can lead to family conflict. A Care Manager can provide objective input regarding the care situation and what’s needed. When families live out of town, a Care Manager acts as an extra set of eyes and ears to keep everyone on the same page. They make a real difference helping families get the right services into place quickly and navigating new challenges as the arise.

At Arosa, we have the expertise and experience to deal with people who are extremely resistant to care. As an example, Sally is a woman suffering from Alzheimer’s. Her daughter, who is very concerned, called a traditional agency for support. The agency met with Sally, who got agitated, became angry, and insisted they leave.

When Nancy called Arosa, one of our Care Managers worked with her and Sally. It became clear that Sally was missing the activities that she once enjoyed doing. So the Care manager reframed the whole situation by offering Sally a personal driver who could help get her to the activities that she enjoyed going to. That seemed to resonate with Sally and she suddenly became willing to accept care.