Getting Started With Home Care Services

Even if you’re unsure of what home care services you need and when, call us. We can walk you through the process and help alleviate your concerns.

We will work with you to evaluate the level of home care services that are necessary to improve your loved one's quality of life. Upon an initial visit to your home, a client assessment of needs is performed and developed into an individualized Care Plan for our personal care attendants to follow. The Care Plan is determined by interviewing the client and family and listening to home care service needs and goals to be met daily. A skilled assessment is entered into the chart for the personal care attendants to view for better understanding of client behavior, routine, and likes/dislikes. This assessment is crucial in providing optimum care for you or your loved one.

Consider choosing a home care agency rather than a private personal care attendant to ensure the safety of your loved one. Sequoia Companion Care is licensed, bonded and insured, and our personal care attendants undergo extensive background checks. We are RN owned and operated, and our sister company, Sequoia Home Health, has nurses and physical therapists who provide our Companion Care personal home care attendants with additional training.

  • Do you have hourly minimums?
  • If I live out of town, is there an additional fee?
  • What type of background checks do you perform on staff?
  • Do you have any additional certifications or specialties (such as dementia care)?
  • How are the personal care attendants monitored?
  • How is the care plan developed?
  • How often is the care plan reviewed?
  • Will I have the same personal care attendant each time?
  • How does the replacement process work if my personal care attendant can't provide care?
  • What is the average length of employment for your personal care attendants?
  • What are the payment options you offer? Do you have a payment plan?
  • Are holidays and weekends an extra cost?
  • Can you provide references?
Sequoia Home Health

Paying for Home Care Services

Medicare does not pay for long term non-medical activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, grooming, walking, meal preparation or light housekeeping. Medicare-covered home health care services are associated with a medically skilled need and are performed by a nurse, physical therapist, or other licensed clinician. We do offer home health care services as well. We recommend that you speak to your physician to determine what home health care services are covered by Medicare for your medical needs. We can cover home health care services through Medicare and supplement your needs through private pay home care services.

Private health insurance covers skilled home health needs, however private health insurance does not typically cover non-medical home care services such as help with activities of daily living like dressing, walking, or bathing. Health insurance also does not cover non-personal care like meal preparation, laundry, grocery shopping, local errands, or transportation to a doctor's appointment. Our home health branch can assist with insurance-covered skilled home health care needs depending on your insurance, and we can assist in finding companies that will provide skilled services if we do not accept your insurance. Our private pay home care branch can supplement your needs.

Yes, we can work closely with you to cover hone care services through your long term care insurance company. Long term care insurance policies vary widely in the amount they will reimburse for services, and not every policy covers all expenses. We can help you determine which expenses your policy will cover. Your family will be responsible for any charges the insurance policy does not cover.

In some cases, yes. Public services are based on financial need, age, and medical condition. Services such as VCRC and IHSS are available. Please call us to learn more, and we can direct you appropriately based upon your needs.

Rates for home care vary based upon your location, service needed, and visit length. To determine the exact cost of home care services for your needs, please call our office.

No, there is no term agreement. You simply sign a 'service agreement' that has no time commitment. The service agreement specifies which services we offer, how much we charge, and additional pertinent information. You may try a simple schedule and see how that works for your family. Additionally, you can pre-plan by signing a service agreement prior to discharge from a surgical procedure so that services are tentatively set into place in advance.

We understand the difficulty of working with payment options and long-term care insurance companies. That's why Sequoia Companion Care simplifies the process for you. We work with our clients to provide information and support when it comes to compensation arrangements. We accept most major credit cards and bill long-term insurance plans. While private insurance does not cover the cost of companion care, the following are payment options that we accept:

  • Private Pay (credit cards)
  • Long-term Care Insurance

Rest assured- Sequoia Companion Care is by your side every step of the way. If you have more questions about payment options, please call us to learn more.