| Frequently Asked Questions |
Q. How do I arrange for home care
services?
A. A telephone call to our office or an
e-mail to faye@neighborshomecare.com
will start your request or inquiry for services; just speak to our Vice President & Director of
Patient Services or Nurse Supervisor.
Each individual is a Registered Nurse with extensive home care
experience. After a brief
conversation with you, she will be able to make a recommendation as to what
steps to follow.
Q. The person whom I am trying to help is
on Medicare and/or Medicaid.
Does Neighbors Home Care serve Medicare and/or Medicaid clients?
A. Yes, if after speaking to our Nurse, she
feels the services you are requesting might be covered under Medicare and/or
Medicaid, we will contact the appropriate program for you. Because we have contracts for the
provision of paraprofessional services with multiple Certified Home Health
Agencies, Long Term Home Health Care Programs and Hospice organizations, we can
provide a vast array of options and resources. The billing process will be fully explained to you,
including what charges, if any, will be your direct responsibility.
Q. Are your services covered by Long Term
Care or Major Medical Insurance?
A. Yes, Neighbors Home Care will bill most Long
Term Care and Major Medical Insurance carriers and, therefore, accepts
assignments of benefits. The
intake Nurse will review these details upon referral. We will verify your insurance coverage for you and will even
take on the extra expense of filing your claim at no cost to you. If your insurance plan only covers a
percentage of the services, Neighbors Home Care can bill you for any additional
costs for paraprofessional services not covered. If we do not accept your plan, we can give you the necessary
paperwork for you to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.
Q. How do I start services?
A. We do everything to start services as quickly as possible. Our Nurse will collaborate with the
client's physician, hospital discharge planner, and/or social worker to have a
complete nursing assessment to determine their environmental, physical and
psychosocial needs and existing supports.
New York State regulations require that this evaluation be completed
prior to rendering any paraprofessional care. Additionally, the client's physician must complete and sign
medical orders before any care can be rendered. After the evaluation is complete and it is determined that
care can be SAFELY AND ADEQUATELY rendered, a plan of care is established and
followed by our experienced and certified paraprofessional home care
workers.
Q. How do you
know what type of person will come in to my (the client's) home?
A. We know what type of person will come to your home because, the Director of Patient
Services and Nurse Supervisor are familiar with the background and experience
of all our paraprofessionals, every attempt is made to assign personnel who are
familiar with each client's cultural and social environment within their own
neighborhood. Personnel are chosen
to work for Neighbors Home Care only if they have demonstrated a high degree of
professional competence. Each
employee has their training and work references verified, criminal background
thoroughly checked and must have completed an approved training program and
passed a written examination prior to any direct patient contact. In addition, all employees must have a
physical examination (which includes a drug screen) prior to employment that
meets the requirements of the New York State Department of Health.
Q. Do you
supervise your employees?
A. Yes, the paraprofessional workers are
all employees of Neighbors Home Care and we supervise them in a variety of
ways. First and foremost, we have
instituted a "daily check" system.
This unique system means that every day (including holidays, weekends,
and nights) phone calls are made to clients' homes by one of our staff members
to ensure that our paraprofessional is on time and performing the assigned
tasks according to the plan of care.
When a paraprofessional is going to the client's for the first time or
as a replacement for the regular paraprofessional, a Nurse will orient the
worker to the client's needs. In
addition, the Nurse will visit the client at regular intervals to monitor
client care and ensure the proper placement of aides.
Q. What types of
payments do you accept?
A. Neighbors Home Care
accepts most Long Term Care and Major Medical insurance plans, as well as
personal check and credit cards (American Express, MasterCard and Visa) for
payment of services. You can ask
our Director of Patient Services or Nurse Supervisor for more details.
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