FAQ
How long have you been in business?
Since 1997.
Where do you operate geographically?
Monroe County and adjoining counties.
Who owns the company?
Brothers Mark and Tom McDermott
How many employees do you have?
70
Is the company a franchise?
Yes. We are a locally owned franchise. The franchisor Touching Hearts at Home is based in St. Paul MN. This company was founded by CEO Renae Olafson in 1996.
Is your company licensed?
Our company is registered to do business in NY. Our company is not a licensed home health care company. A license is only needed to provide medical services, while we provide only nonmedical companion care services. Thus, we do not need a license.
Does your company have insurance?
Yes. We have workers compensation insurance that would cover any injury our caregiver might suffer on the job. We also have disability insurance for our employees. In addition, our company has general liability insurance that covers all our business operations, including client property loss.
Our Clients
Do you serve only seniors?
No. Our services can be effectively utilized by anyone depending on their needs and circumstances.
Do you serve people with disabilities?
Yes. We serve persons with disabilities, diseases and other chronic conditions that present challenges to their living independently in their homes.
Do you serve seniors who have already moved into assisted living, enriched living and memory care facilities?
Yes. We serve seniors wherever they live. We have many clients in senior care facilities.
Our Services
What does the term ‘companion care’ mean?
This term refers to nonmedical assistance including but not limited to social companionship, housekeeping, meal preparation, transportation, laundry, errands, chores, medication reminders and respite care.
Do you provide ‘hands on’ personal care like bathing, toileting, dressing and personal grooming?
No. However, we can provide some assistance to clients to accomplish these tasks themselves, to make it easier for them. Some examples: ‘stand by’ assist for walking and showering to reduce the risk of falling; clients can lean on our extended arms when getting up or sitting down; prepare the bathroom for safety; and hand clients items in their bathing and toileting.
What times of the day, week and year do you provide services?
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
Who decides what services I get? How is that determined?
Every person is unique. Determining appropriate services is a collaborative effort with the client’s needs at the center of the discussion. The discussion may include others involved in the client’s care, such as family members, social workers, discharge planners, medical staff and other care workers. We meet with the client and all appropriate people before we start service. There is no cost or obligation connected with this initial meeting. The end result is a written Plan of Care that outlines the services we will provide.
Will you coordinate services with other companies and individuals involved in my care?
We are very willing and able to coordinate our services with family members, friends, visiting nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, home health aides, etc.
Is there a minimum amount time for a client visit?
No.
Is there a minimum visit charge?
Yes – $27
Is there a minimum number of visits required?
No.
Can I make schedule changes if something comes up?
Yes. We ask for 24 hours notice of cancellation. We also fully understand that some situations of care are unpredictable and require last minute changes. We also understand that clients’ care needs change over time and schedules may change, too.
How can I cancel service?
We ask for 24 hours notice of cancellation by speaking with someone in our office.
How does the company ensure I am getting the best quality service from my caregiver?
After we assign a caregiver to a client we follow up in various ways, including: phone calls to ensure clients are satisfied; scheduled client visits at least every other month; unscheduled client visits for impromptu observations; written client surveys. Finally, we always encourage clients and their families to let us know if they are unhappy with our caregivers in any way.
Whose vehicle is used for my transportation, yours or mine?
Either one – it’s your choice.
If I want only transportation, will Touching Hearts provide that service alone?
Yes.
Whose housekeeping equipment and supplies are used for cleaning my home, yours or mine?
Yours. If you don’t have the proper supplies then we can go to the store for you and get them.
With meal preparation, who provides the food, you or me?
You. Again, we can help with shopping if you’d like us to.
If a caregiver has prepared a meal for me, does the caregiver have to eat with me?
No. You have no obligation to provide meals to our caregiver, and they do not expect to take meals with you. However, if you prefer to enjoy a meal together, you may feel free to ask our caregiver to join you.
Can you give a person medication?
No, but we can help a lot in ensuring medications are taken properly. We can provide medication reminders, coaching and encouragement. We can notify interested parties if a client has not properly taken medications. We can pick up medication at the store. We can report if any other problems arise with medication compliance.
Our Caregivers
What qualifications do you look for when you hire caregivers?
First and foremost, we look for people who are caring and enjoy serving others. We then identify those who are honest, reliable and personable. We look for experience (personal and/or professional) caring for seniors and people with disabilities. We seek people who have experience caring for seniors with Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias.
How do screen your caregivers before hiring them?
We screen and interview all candidates. We conduct at least 4 references including at least 2 professional references. We run a national criminal background check based on state and county criminal records. All caregivers must ‘pass’ our pre-employment orientation program before they are placed with a client.
Do you run background checks on your job applicants?
Yes. We run a national criminal background check of state and county records and we periodically continue to check the national records in case new convictions have been recorded.
How do you determine which caregiver to assign to me?
We always try to find the best match for each client. We first consider the personal qualities in a caregiver that you have told us are important. Then we consider which caregivers have the right experiences and skills to meet your needs. Finally, we consider where the caregiver lives and when they are available to work.
What happens if I don’t like the person assigned to be my caregiver?
We will simply make a change if you don’t like the person we have assigned to you. We understand that the ‘chemistry’ is important in providing companion care, and we want you to be totally comfortable with your caregiver.
Will I have the same caregiver for every visit?
It depends on the schedule and each client’s needs. We understand how important continuity is in companion care. We strive to keep as few caregivers as possible involved in your care. However, sometimes it is unavoidable, and even desirable, to have more than one person assigned to a client.
Am I required, or permitted, to give gratuities or gifts to caregivers?
No.
Do you employ registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nurse assistants and home health aides?
We have no nursing or home health aide positions in our company because we do not perform medical services. However, it does so happen that some of our companion caregivers have these qualifications in their background.
What training do caregivers receive at your company?
Each new applicant must complete a pre-employment orientation program that covers care giving practices, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, safety, and company policies. We also have mandatory quarterly training sessions for our caregivers that further develop our caregivers’ skills in caring for clients with Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia. Additionally, we provide caregivers with on-the-job coaching.
If a caregiver is injured in my home does your insurance cover it?
Yes. We have workers compensation insurance to cover employee injuries while ‘on the job’.
Getting Started
How do I begin services?
We can start on very short notice by having a fact gathering meeting to gain a clear mutual understanding of expectations. This can be done immediately any time of day convenient for our client. Once a Plan of Care is developed and a Service Agreement is signed, we can begin. This whole process can normally be completed within a few hours of us being contacted.
Can I interview caregivers before they are assigned to me?
Our normal process is not to have clients interview caregivers, but this is not a hard and fast rule. Rather, we find that simply beginning service and trying out the relationship is the best way to determine whether the match between caregiver and client will work. Remember, we can quickly change caregivers if the client so chooses.
How do I schedule visits?
Visits are scheduled with our office staff, not with our caregivers. We can schedule well in advance, or on a short term basis, as the situation requires.
Do you require a contract?
We ask our clients to sign a Service Agreement, which is a straight forward 1 page document intended to ensure costs and terms are clearly understood. This agreement does not require clients to continue to use our service for any period of time. Clients can discontinue our service with 24 hours notice of cancellation.
Costs & Billing
What does your service cost?
We can discuss costs with you only we have a full understanding of each client’s situation and needs.
Does insurance pay for your services?
Some long term care insurance policies pay for our services. It depends on the individual policy. We can work with your insurance company to help you qualify for payment for our services. Medical insurance does not pay because we do not provide medical services, rather companion care services.
How do you bill for your services?
We send invoices in the mail twice a month and we request payment promptly with either a check or credit card. Invoices can be sent to persons other than the client, if appropriate, such as guardians, power of attorney, etc.