FAQ

Clients continue to enjoy the privacy, comfort and security of their own homes as well as a sense of independence. For many, it’s a return to their “happy place”.

The 23-year track record of providing exceptional live-in care for seniors. HCS is an independently owned and operated company. Since 1996, live-in care has been our specialty — a professional, personalized service to Clients, their family as well as a focused, reliable resource for our referral sources. HCS has the flexibility to be able to respond quickly and formulate immediate solutions for Clients and their families.

 

Home Care Solutions is licensed by the State of Minnesota as a Comprehensive professional Home Care Agency — fully bonded and properly insured.

Caregivers have chosen to be live-in professionals based on their successful work history of establishing relationships and providing quality care — important characteristics to consider so seniors may remain in their own homes.

 

Home Care Solutions takes great care to match the right caregiver for each Client. Staffing Coordinators and the Director of Nursing work closely with Clients to make a thoughtful Home Health Aide selection, one that is sensitive to your needs while all staff work with you and your family to ensure a successful partnership. Clients and HHA’s are matched based on specific Client needs and considering the Home Health Aide’s areas of expertise, personality, schedule and the physical requirements to provide care.

Flexible and tailored to meet your individual needs, live-in Home Health Aide services include:

 

• An initial assessment by a Registered Nurse
• Medications ordered and set up every two weeks by a Registered Nurse
• 24/7 Home Health Aide care in the home
• On-call Registered Nurse access 24/7/365
• Quality Assurance — a QA supervisor to manage the HHA performance

Home Health Aides provide the following services:

• Personal care, including:  bathing; toileting; oral hygiene; shaving; hair, skin, basic foot and nail care, as well as dressing assistance
• Walking assistance and transferring from bed or chair
• Meal preparation and dining
• Medication administration
• Light housekeeping to maintain a safe and clean environment
• Laundry
• Assistance with PT / OT programs 
• Transportation and accompany to appointments

In addition, staff provide:

• Nurse supervisory visits and clinical assessments
• Liaison service between the Client and the Client’s physician
• Client and family support services
• Assistance with discharge planning at the beginning and end of care
• A collaborative, supportive relationship with other agencies involved in care (physical therapy, Medicare skilled visits, hospice and others)
• Registered Nurse and Home Care Solutions Managers are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year for Client care concerns or emergencies

At Home Care Solutions, services are competitively priced. HCS does not charge extra for weekends or scheduled medication set-ups. Please call our office for rates on either our single- or couples-service program.

Medicare and medical insurance usually only cover home care visits to address a skilled need such as wound care, some post-operative care, establishing a diabetic monitoring program, physical therapy, occupational therapy and some medication injections. Live-in care is considered custodial care. As such, Medicare and traditional medical insurance do not cover home care.  Services are considered private-pay, often supplemented by long-term care insurance (HCS assists with required LTC insurance claim documentation).

Home Care Solutions serves the Minneapolis / St. Paul metro area plus a 100-mile radius. 

No, Clients do not need a physician’s referral to take advantage of our services. However, Clients do need to be “under the care” of a physician. This encourages continuity of care and assurance that each Client’s medical needs are being met.

Caregivers are matched with clients with the same careful consideration one would give to our staff’s families.  
Home Care Solutions is committed to providing professional, qualified and reliable caregivers. Staff are industry certified, must have prior caregiving experience and have demonstrated a history of quality caregiving. Every employee has passed a background check and screening process. Only the most committed, reliable and compassionate candidates make it through this process. Once accepted, HHA’s are required to complete a rigorous orientation program, where candidates are further screened, evaluated and developed. Ongoing in-service training is also required. In addition, our Nurses perform bi-monthly supervisory visits and carefully monitor each Client’s Care Plan. Activities of the Home Health Aide are carefully recorded and documented to meet or exceed the State of Minnesota’s compliance and regulatory requirements. HCS is licensed, bonded and insured.

Clients are typically assigned two caregivers to provide live-in care. Each week, the primary Home Health Aides rotate to ensure continuity of care and the opportunity to bond in a professional and friendly manner — a bond built on the respect for personal dignity and trust.

Home Care Solutions employs a Quality Assurance Supervisor whose primary responsibility is to make “unannounced” visits to Client homes in order to monitor and improve daily activities of the Home Health Aides.
HCS keeps in regular contact with caregivers. Check-in calls discuss: Client status / changes, menu planning, activities, concerns regarding the Client’s health and Care Plan, etc.

 

 

Home Care Solutions’ Registered Nurses are trained to identify Clients who would benefit from professional Care Management.  Reputable providers of Care Management can be shared — referred to third parties so as to eliminate any conflict of interest.

A checklist can mailed or e-mailed to interested parties to provide specific information regarding preparation for a live-in caregiver. A separate sleeping area is required for the Home Health Aide.  Caregivers prepare meals for Clients. Clients are to provide groceries for HHA meals.

 

What are the sleeping requirements for Home Health Aides?

Adequate sleep for HHA’s is essential in order to be alert during daytime hours. Per the U.S. Department of Labor, caregivers are required to have a total of eight hours of sleep each night, five of which must be uninterrupted sleep.