What Is Private Duty Home Care

We figured we should do our first blog for Just Like Family Home Care on what exactly it is that we do!  Please enjoy this article, written this year by Nikole Stillman and Elisabeth Nassberg, Owners.  

 Private duty home care companies provide home care  services directly to patients in their homes, hospitals, facilities or communities for as long as the patient wishes.  These companies are paid by the patient from sources such as private pay and/or long-term care insurance.  Typically, when a person is discharged from a hospital or a facility, Doctor ordered services are set up through a Medicare agency and paid for by Medicare and/or a supplemental insurance policy.  Often, people find that they require  additional assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), which are the things a person normally does through out the course of a day, including any daily activities performed for self-care (i.e. feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming), homemaking, and leisure.  At that point, many people hire a private duty company to work in conjunction with their Medicare agency. 

When choosing a private duty company, you should look for one that is licensed, bonded, and insured.  Once you have chosen a company, you will need to choose a schedule. 
 There are many things to consider such as:

What time do you wake up in the morning?

Do you need assistance with breakfast?

Do you need help with showering and or dressing?

Do you want to shower in the morning or evening?

Do you need assistance with lunch?

What time do you eat dinner?

Do you need help getting ready for bed?

What time do you go to bed?

Are you sleeping through the night?

Every patient’s needs are different, which is why companies that offer customized, flexible services from a one hour to around the clock care and low or no minimum hours will be the easiest to work with because your needs may fluctuate from day to day. 

In order to find the right caregiver, the preferences of the patient  must be considered.  Many patients prefer a female to a male or perhaps a mature individual versus a younger caregiver.  Companies that have a wide variety of individuals to choose from will have the best success in pairing patients with caregivers, as a personality match is every bit  as important as skill level. 

 Just Like Family Home Care is family owned and operated, and we have family members that have needed help in their homes or at a hospital, so we understand how you must be feeling.  The process of choosing a home care company can be overwhelming and confusing.  At Just Like Family Home Care, we do everything that we can to alleviate this stress for you.  We have no weekly minimums, no hidden fees, no extra charges for nights and/or weekends; in essence we are "gimmick free".  We accept all major credit cards for your convenience, and long term care insurance and we will do all of your insurance paperwork for you.  We truly do treat each and every patient as though they are “just like family”, which is why we chose that for our company’s name.  We would not be who we are today without our Seniors, and the best way that we can thank them is by providing them with exceptional care.