When you’re looking for home care for yourself or someone you love, the last thing you want is to wade through pages of jargon or wait days for a call back. You need clear answers right away.
What if your dad was preparing to leave the hospital after a surgery and you weren’t sure if he needed a nurse, an aide, or any help at all? Or what if your partner needed help managing wound care or a chronic condition like Parkinson’s or ALS? You wouldn’t want to scroll through countless websites or guess at what insurance might cover. You’d want quick, simple answers you could act on immediately.
That’s exactly what this guide is for. Below are some of the questions we hear most often from families. We want you to have the clarity you need without the extra stress.
You can also visit our full FAQ page for even more details.
Question #1: How soon can care start, and what are your minimum hours?
In many cases, we can begin care within 24–48 hours of your first call. If your need for care is more urgent, please reach out to us.
RN services can be scheduled for as little as one hour up to 24/7 care. For Home Health Aides, we recommend 8 hour shifts for continuity of care but can accommodate shorter schedules when appropriate.
If you’d like to have the same caregiver consistently, we recommend 35–40 hours per week. Our caregivers are compassionate professionals who are highly trained and qualified to work with your personalized care plan long-term.
For 8- or 12-hour shifts 7 days a week, consistent schedules can look like this:
- 3/4 split: You can have a caregiver work 3 days and another work 4 days.
- 3/1/3 split: Two caregivers each work 3 days; an additional caregiver works 1 day.
The more hours you request, the better the chances of maintaining continuity in your caregiving team.
Question #2: What are your rates, and what affects pricing?
Our rates are based on the level of care, the type of provider, and the schedule that works best for you and your loved ones. That ensures you pay for the expertise and time truly needed. A few factors that can influence pricing include:
- Type of care provider: A registered nurse (RN) will have a different rate than a home health aide (HHA) because of their training, credentials, and scope of care.
- Shift length: Shorter visits may have a higher hourly rate than longer shifts.
- Specialized skills: Services such as wound care, memory care, or other clinical specialties may affect the rate.
- Schedule needs: Rates account for any overtime or travel that may be necessary based on your requested schedule.
We’ll always review your needs in detail before quoting so we can give you the most accurate, transparent rate possible.
About 24-hour nursing care
If your loved one needs around-the-clock nursing, we recommend 2 12-hour shifts rather than a single live-in nurse. This ensures your night nurse is alert for the full shift, which is essential for safety. Live-in caregivers must receive 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep so are most appropriate for scenarios when overnight care is not needed except in the case of an emergency.
If you or your loved one needs a night shift nurse, your package includes the peace of mind of having a licensed nurse in the home, fully present and ready to act. We’re happy to review rates and create a custom care plan.
In every scenario, our goal is to be transparent about costs from the start. There are no surprises; instead, there’s just a clear plan for the care you or your loved one deserves
Question #3: Do you accept insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, or long-term care policies?
We do not accept Medicare or Medicaid for hourly care. However, we can work with many long-term care (LTC) insurance policies and are happy to assist with documentation to make claims easier.
If you’re not sure what your policy covers, we can help you review it together.
Question #4: Can an HHA escort my loved one outside the home?
Absolutely. Your caregiver can escort you to and from personal or medical appointments. They can also accompany you on errands. We believe these moments outside the home are just as important for your well-being as the care you receive inside it and a vital part in ensuring you feel supported every step of the way.
Most of the time, this simply means your caregiver rides along with you, so travel-related expenses are minimal and covered by you directly.
If you’d like to book a caregiver or nurse specifically to attend an appointment with you, we offer the following:
- Caregiver escort service: This provides you or your loved one with physical support, companionship, and a friendly, reassuring presence.
- Registered nurse escort service: This offers all of the above, plus help communicating with your provider, asking the right questions, documenting answers, and advocating for your needs.
Escort services are billed as a flat fee. The exact cost depends on the appointment location, estimated duration, and the level of support or complexity involved.
Question #5: Can we interview the aide before they start?
We understand that choosing the right caregiver is a personal decision, and you want to feel confident in the match. Every member of our care team goes through an extensive vetting, training, and onboarding process, most families trust us to select the right professional without the need for a formal interview.
We go by The Grandma Rule®. It’s our guiding philosophy for hiring. In every interview, we ask our candidates a simple but powerful question: “Would I trust this person to care for my own grandmother?” Only when the answer is a confident yes do we welcome them to our team.
In keeping with The Grandma Rule®, we recruit only exceptional home health aides and nurses. Every professional on our team is fully vetted with extensive reference checks, background checks, and skills verification.
If you’d like to get a sense of who might be on your team, we’re happy to provide short bios so you can see the faces of the quality, experience, and professionalism you can expect while we match you with the professional best suited to your needs.
We’re here to walk you through your care journey. Our goal is always to balance your comfort and confidence with the speed and quality of care your loved one deserves.
Question #6: What if my loved one resists care?
This is more common than you might think, especially for those who value their independence. Our team is trained to approach these situations with empathy and patience. We focus on building trust first. This means that sometimes we start with shorter, low-pressure visits to help ease the transition.
Question #7: Do nurses bring their own equipment?
Our clinically trained staff has the skills and experience to manage even the most complex physical conditions. We work closely with doctors, therapists, and other specialists to ensure your care is coordinated and seamless.
If you or your loved one requires specialized equipment, we’ll collaborate on those needs in advance so everything is ready when care begins.
We also have access to adaptive equipment should your needs change over time. It’s part of our commitment to making sure your care plan is complete, responsive, and built entirely around your needs.
Question #8: How do you train your team?
The care you or your loved one receives is only as strong as the skills and compassion of the person providing it. Every caregiver on our team from home health aides to registered nurses goes through a thorough, multi-step process to ensure they’re ready to provide you with the highest standard of care.
- Extensive vetting: We do thorough background checks, reference verification, and credential reviews so you can feel confident about who’s coming into your home.
- Ongoing training: Our caregivers receive consistent updates and training on new care techniques, safety protocols, and how to ensure they collaborate with you and your loved ones with warmth and clarity.
- Specialized programs: We provide focused training for dementia care, chronic conditions, and other unique and complex medical needs.
Our commitment doesn’t stop after day one. We check in regularly with you and your loved ones to make sure your care meets both our standards as well as yours.
