Q: I am uncomfortable having strangers in my home. How do I know that the Caregiver that you send will be trustworthy and
reliable?
A: There are no guarantees in life, but we do our best to ensure that only the finest Caregivers are hired from our pool of
applicants. We actively recruit applicants from the communities that we service and strive to minimize travel times for our
Caregivers to reduce the instance of late calls. Our applicants go through a lengthy interview prior to hiring, and a thorough
check of previous employment history, personal and professional references is performed. In addition to this, we run a
Criminal History (C.O.R.I.) check and C.N.A. Registry Board check on each applicant prior to hiring to ensure that there
have been no allegations of abuse, neglect, theft, etc. against him or her. All of our Caregivers are either Certified Nursing
Assistants, Home Health Aides, or are dually-certified in both areas and must have a minimum one year of facility-based
health care experience. In addition to this, we perform routine, unscheduled site-visits to monitor our Clients' satisfaction
with the services being provided.
Q. What kind of services can your Caregivers provide?
A. Our Caregivers, given their qualifications, are able to assist you or your loved one with bathing, dressing and grooming,
incontinence care, mobility, eating, following exercise programs and many other "hands-on" tasks. In addition to these
services they can prepare meals, perform light housekeeping tasks, monitor vital signs, bowel and bladder habits and
provide medication reminders.
Q: There seem to be quite a few less expensive options for home care, including hiring someone privately. Why should I
choose Amazing Grace?
A: There are so many reasons - where do we begin?! To start with, we stand behind the quality of Caregiver that we staff in
our Clients' homes. All of our Caregivers maintain current certifications and have experience in Nursing Homes and
Hospitals. We perform Criminal History (C.O.R.I.) and C.N.A. Registry Board checks on all of our Caregivers, as well as a
review of previous employment, personal and professional references. Our Caregivers are medical professionals with
experience in hospitals, nursing homes and home care, and we are fully licensed and insured. Our pricing directly reflects
the expense of hiring and maintaining high-quality employees, and our experience has been that good Caregivers are worth
their weight in gold! If you need more reason than that, ask yourself these questions: If you hire privately, what happens
when your aide calls in sick? If you plan to claim the expense of hiring a private aide on your taxes, will you also provide that
aide with a 1099 or will you withhold taxes and send him or her a W-9? What if he or she suffers an injury while on the job?
Q: How do you choose which Caregivers to send to your Clients?
A. We try to choose our Caregivers based on each Client's specific needs, and make sure that they are experienced/trained
in the use of any special equipment, procedures or techniques. We also take distance into account, and do our best to
reduce our Caregivers' travel time and distance to reach our Clients' homes. In doing so, we strive to limit instances of
tardiness for shifts due to highway traffic and unfamiliarity with our Clients' neighborhoods. Although many of our Caregivers
are multi-lingual, we require that all be fluent in English.
Q. What if I'm not satisfied with a Caregiver?
A. All it takes is a telephone call to our Main Office. It is our goal to ensure that all of our Clients feel safe, secure and
satisfied with the service that we provide. If for any reason you are displeased with the performance of any of our Caregivers
we will be happy to make whatever changes are necessary to suit your needs.
Q. Can I get therapy at home through Amazing Grace?
A. Not yet. We're actively working towards being able to offer Occupational and Physical Therapy services to our Clients in
the near future, but it will be a bit longer before those services are up and running.
Q. Do you have nurses available?
A. Yes. We currently have RN's and LPN's available for limited shifts. Please call to inquire about availability.
Q. How do I go about setting up services?
A. Just give us a call. Although we have been known to pull together a working schedule in less than twenty-four hours,
more notice will allow us to create a more consistent, tailor-made schedule to better suit your needs. We will arrange a time
to meet you and/or your loved one and will develop a detailed Case Record based upon the information that you provide us.
If you or your loved one are currently in a medical facility and planning on a discharge in the near future, we are available to
participate in Discharge Planning meetings to ensure the smoothest transition possible upon return home.
Q. I am not able to be present while your Caregiver is in my home caring for my mother. How can I find out what they are
doing for her and how things are going?
A. Simple: we keep a detailed Case Record in the home of each of our Clients. Within this binder you will be able to view a
detailed Care Plan (complete instructions for caring for our Client), Medication and Vital Signs records, Bowel & Bladder
tracking sheets, and - most importantly - detailed notes of each visit documenting our Caregiver's activities during their shift,
the Client's condition, meals, bathing, bathroom use, etc. This is one of the best ways of monitoring your loved one's
condition on a shift-by-shift basis, and can be used as a means of communicating with our Caregivers as well if you are not
able to speak to them in person. In addition, a member of the Amazing Grace Team is always just a telephone call away to
answer any of your questions regarding your loved one's care.
Q. Is there a minimum amount of time that I can schedule services for?
A. Yes. Amazing Grace Private Nursing Care, Inc. maintains a four-hour minimum per shift.
Q. Aside from your four-hour minimum, how much flexibility do I have with scheduling services?
A. Feel free to be as flexible as your needs require. Our Caregivers are available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a
week.
Q. What if I need to change my schedule or cancel a shift at the last minute? Will I be charged for the shift or is there a
penalty?
A. Life is full of surprises, and we're ready for them. We do ask that you provide us with at least twenty-four hours notice
prior to any schedule changes to allow us time to contact our Caregivers. You will not be charged for a last-minute
cancellation unless the Caregiver has already arrived at your residence and is turned away, and these charges will be based
upon the hours scheduled for that shift. We do this only so that we may pay our Caregiver for his or her time - there are no
"penalty" fees. Exceptions will be made in the event of hospitalization or medical emergency.
Q. I am looking for someone to provide me with respite services for my mother from time to time, but not for any set
schedule. Can you help me?
A. Unfortunately, without a set schedule of any kind we can't guarantee that you'll have the same Caregiver each time - but
we'll certainly try!
Q. How much do you charge for your services?
A. Our rates vary depending upon the length of shifts needed by our Clients. Please call our Main Office at (781) 337-1516
for a quote.
Q. Will my insurance cover your services?
A. Amazing Grace Private Nursing Care, Inc. is a private-pay agency, which means that we are paid directly by our Clients
or their appointed financial representative. Our services are not covered by Medicare or most HMO's, but you may be able
to submit a claim for our services if you hold Long Term Care Insurance. In addition, we may be able to refer you to outside
agencies who could help you establish funding to cover your home care expenses.
Q. How will I be billed for your services?
A. We will send you (or your financial representative) a detailed weekly invoice with a return envelope.
Q. What happens if I have a problem after business hours?
A. Our phones are monitored around the clock, seven days a week. After business hours, you will reach a voice mail which
is checked frequently. Your call will be returned by a member of the Amazing Grace Team as quickly as possible.
Q. My mother has a degenerative disease and I expect that her condition will worsen with time. How do I adjust the level of
care that she receives, and will I need to pay more for a higher level of assistance?
A. Absolutely not. Everyone changes with time, and we are prepared to adapt our level of service accordingly without cost to
you. We maintain open lines of communication with our Caregivers and Clients, and any changes are passed along verbally
and in writing via Case Record. Remember that all of our Caregivers are Certified Nursing Assistants and/or Home Health
Aides and have experience with all levels of care.
Q. Can I terminate services easily?
A. Of course. All it takes is a telephone call from the Client or his/her legal representative to terminate services. We always
appreciate a little bit of notice, of course... and you're always welcome back if you need us again!
reliable?
A: There are no guarantees in life, but we do our best to ensure that only the finest Caregivers are hired from our pool of
applicants. We actively recruit applicants from the communities that we service and strive to minimize travel times for our
Caregivers to reduce the instance of late calls. Our applicants go through a lengthy interview prior to hiring, and a thorough
check of previous employment history, personal and professional references is performed. In addition to this, we run a
Criminal History (C.O.R.I.) check and C.N.A. Registry Board check on each applicant prior to hiring to ensure that there
have been no allegations of abuse, neglect, theft, etc. against him or her. All of our Caregivers are either Certified Nursing
Assistants, Home Health Aides, or are dually-certified in both areas and must have a minimum one year of facility-based
health care experience. In addition to this, we perform routine, unscheduled site-visits to monitor our Clients' satisfaction
with the services being provided.
Q. What kind of services can your Caregivers provide?
A. Our Caregivers, given their qualifications, are able to assist you or your loved one with bathing, dressing and grooming,
incontinence care, mobility, eating, following exercise programs and many other "hands-on" tasks. In addition to these
services they can prepare meals, perform light housekeeping tasks, monitor vital signs, bowel and bladder habits and
provide medication reminders.
Q: There seem to be quite a few less expensive options for home care, including hiring someone privately. Why should I
choose Amazing Grace?
A: There are so many reasons - where do we begin?! To start with, we stand behind the quality of Caregiver that we staff in
our Clients' homes. All of our Caregivers maintain current certifications and have experience in Nursing Homes and
Hospitals. We perform Criminal History (C.O.R.I.) and C.N.A. Registry Board checks on all of our Caregivers, as well as a
review of previous employment, personal and professional references. Our Caregivers are medical professionals with
experience in hospitals, nursing homes and home care, and we are fully licensed and insured. Our pricing directly reflects
the expense of hiring and maintaining high-quality employees, and our experience has been that good Caregivers are worth
their weight in gold! If you need more reason than that, ask yourself these questions: If you hire privately, what happens
when your aide calls in sick? If you plan to claim the expense of hiring a private aide on your taxes, will you also provide that
aide with a 1099 or will you withhold taxes and send him or her a W-9? What if he or she suffers an injury while on the job?
Q: How do you choose which Caregivers to send to your Clients?
A. We try to choose our Caregivers based on each Client's specific needs, and make sure that they are experienced/trained
in the use of any special equipment, procedures or techniques. We also take distance into account, and do our best to
reduce our Caregivers' travel time and distance to reach our Clients' homes. In doing so, we strive to limit instances of
tardiness for shifts due to highway traffic and unfamiliarity with our Clients' neighborhoods. Although many of our Caregivers
are multi-lingual, we require that all be fluent in English.
Q. What if I'm not satisfied with a Caregiver?
A. All it takes is a telephone call to our Main Office. It is our goal to ensure that all of our Clients feel safe, secure and
satisfied with the service that we provide. If for any reason you are displeased with the performance of any of our Caregivers
we will be happy to make whatever changes are necessary to suit your needs.
Q. Can I get therapy at home through Amazing Grace?
A. Not yet. We're actively working towards being able to offer Occupational and Physical Therapy services to our Clients in
the near future, but it will be a bit longer before those services are up and running.
Q. Do you have nurses available?
A. Yes. We currently have RN's and LPN's available for limited shifts. Please call to inquire about availability.
Q. How do I go about setting up services?
A. Just give us a call. Although we have been known to pull together a working schedule in less than twenty-four hours,
more notice will allow us to create a more consistent, tailor-made schedule to better suit your needs. We will arrange a time
to meet you and/or your loved one and will develop a detailed Case Record based upon the information that you provide us.
If you or your loved one are currently in a medical facility and planning on a discharge in the near future, we are available to
participate in Discharge Planning meetings to ensure the smoothest transition possible upon return home.
Q. I am not able to be present while your Caregiver is in my home caring for my mother. How can I find out what they are
doing for her and how things are going?
A. Simple: we keep a detailed Case Record in the home of each of our Clients. Within this binder you will be able to view a
detailed Care Plan (complete instructions for caring for our Client), Medication and Vital Signs records, Bowel & Bladder
tracking sheets, and - most importantly - detailed notes of each visit documenting our Caregiver's activities during their shift,
the Client's condition, meals, bathing, bathroom use, etc. This is one of the best ways of monitoring your loved one's
condition on a shift-by-shift basis, and can be used as a means of communicating with our Caregivers as well if you are not
able to speak to them in person. In addition, a member of the Amazing Grace Team is always just a telephone call away to
answer any of your questions regarding your loved one's care.
Q. Is there a minimum amount of time that I can schedule services for?
A. Yes. Amazing Grace Private Nursing Care, Inc. maintains a four-hour minimum per shift.
Q. Aside from your four-hour minimum, how much flexibility do I have with scheduling services?
A. Feel free to be as flexible as your needs require. Our Caregivers are available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a
week.
Q. What if I need to change my schedule or cancel a shift at the last minute? Will I be charged for the shift or is there a
penalty?
A. Life is full of surprises, and we're ready for them. We do ask that you provide us with at least twenty-four hours notice
prior to any schedule changes to allow us time to contact our Caregivers. You will not be charged for a last-minute
cancellation unless the Caregiver has already arrived at your residence and is turned away, and these charges will be based
upon the hours scheduled for that shift. We do this only so that we may pay our Caregiver for his or her time - there are no
"penalty" fees. Exceptions will be made in the event of hospitalization or medical emergency.
Q. I am looking for someone to provide me with respite services for my mother from time to time, but not for any set
schedule. Can you help me?
A. Unfortunately, without a set schedule of any kind we can't guarantee that you'll have the same Caregiver each time - but
we'll certainly try!
Q. How much do you charge for your services?
A. Our rates vary depending upon the length of shifts needed by our Clients. Please call our Main Office at (781) 337-1516
for a quote.
Q. Will my insurance cover your services?
A. Amazing Grace Private Nursing Care, Inc. is a private-pay agency, which means that we are paid directly by our Clients
or their appointed financial representative. Our services are not covered by Medicare or most HMO's, but you may be able
to submit a claim for our services if you hold Long Term Care Insurance. In addition, we may be able to refer you to outside
agencies who could help you establish funding to cover your home care expenses.
Q. How will I be billed for your services?
A. We will send you (or your financial representative) a detailed weekly invoice with a return envelope.
Q. What happens if I have a problem after business hours?
A. Our phones are monitored around the clock, seven days a week. After business hours, you will reach a voice mail which
is checked frequently. Your call will be returned by a member of the Amazing Grace Team as quickly as possible.
Q. My mother has a degenerative disease and I expect that her condition will worsen with time. How do I adjust the level of
care that she receives, and will I need to pay more for a higher level of assistance?
A. Absolutely not. Everyone changes with time, and we are prepared to adapt our level of service accordingly without cost to
you. We maintain open lines of communication with our Caregivers and Clients, and any changes are passed along verbally
and in writing via Case Record. Remember that all of our Caregivers are Certified Nursing Assistants and/or Home Health
Aides and have experience with all levels of care.
Q. Can I terminate services easily?
A. Of course. All it takes is a telephone call from the Client or his/her legal representative to terminate services. We always
appreciate a little bit of notice, of course... and you're always welcome back if you need us again!
| Frequently Asked Questions |