Colorado Home Health Services PeopleCare Health Services

FAQs

FAQ’s

questions people ask

Please click on questions to expand answers.

Generally, the term “home care” has traditionally referred to any type of care that is provided for people who need assistance with daily life activities.  It usually implies assistance for the elderly, but special needs children, mothers in later stages of pregnancy or those transitioning from a hospital to home are included, as well.

PeopleCare Health Services provides what is called “non-medical” home care which typically refers to personal care activities such as bathing, grooming, dressing, as well as assistance with meal preparation, light housekeeping, and running errands. It could also include medication reminders, assistance with ambulation, and transportation to medical appointments

Today, home care is divided, primarily for insurance purposes by the addition of “health” to the term.  “Home Health Care” now refers to the provision of skilled nursing care and therapy such as occupational, physical or speech.  Unlike non-medical home care, such care, generally, is provided under the supervision of a Physician, Nurse, or Therapist.  It involves home healthcare services such as nursing care, therapies categorized as physical, occupational or respiratory, as well as hospice care.

PeopleCare Health Services was established in 1992.  The company has grown from a single office to four offices working in all 64 counties in Colorado.

At PeopleCare Health Services, we believe in a process that involves the joint participation with the patient along with his or her family, directing the care provided by our Caregivers.  By allowing our clients to direct their own care and have a say in the way that care is delivered we are committed to going well beyond merely providing service.  Our goal is to identify and provide screened and well-trained Caregivers who are a good match to your unique needs and personality.

Is the plan of service personalized? At PeopleCare Health Services, we consider the actual care needs and write out a task list of those need(s) to be provided.  We can describe an example of a typical day for the care recipient, from the moment he or she wakes up until bedtime.  Along the way everyone involved understands when the care recipient prefers to have meals, take naps and other activities.

What additional services are needed and can they be provided?  Sometimes care recipients need help getting to doctors’ appointments or social activities.  At PeopleCare Health Services we help determine the mode of transportation the client will use, whether the Caregiver drives the client’s car or provides the transportation.  By researching the insurance requirements for either option there are no surprises.   An alternative is to take public transportation (bus or taxi cab) or, if available, special publicly provided transportation for seniors.

Does the patient experience memory loss?  Does the care recipient have a diagnosis of dementia?  At PeopleCare Health Services we have a team specially trained and qualified to handle this type of specialized care.

Does the patient speak a language other than English?  Within logical limits, PeopleCare Health Services will do everything possible to provide Caregivers who speak a certain language.

What are the requirements for contact time?  Initially, PeopleCare Health Services’ care coordinators will work with the care recipient and his or her family to determine the list of services that are needed to be performed during a typical day and determine the number of hours required as a starting point.   From that point, we will consult with those involved to make the necessary adjustments accordingly.

Does the patient have any dietary restrictions?  Our intake specialists will review special diets of the care recipient.  Of particular importance will be learning of any food allergies or specific cooking requests and consider how groceries will be purchased or delivered if the care recipient is unable to shop for groceries on his or her own.

What about overall management of the home care assignment?  Care management is more than “showing up”.  Each Caregiver is responsible for providing “hands-on” care.  Beyond that, a PeopleCare Health Services Care Coordinator can supervise all of the care needs, from organizing medications in a pillbox and obtaining refills, to arranging doctors’ appointments and other necessary services.

Your PeopleCare Health Services (Care Coordinator) will develop an individualized Plan of Care for each client.  The objective of this document is to record the type of care services needed and the point at which care will be initiated.  Once all parties to the decision are in agreement, that information will be used to select a Caregiver.  It will also be used as a guide to establish the service, the schedule, communicating and scheduling going forward.

Plans of Care are reviewed with the client and family quarterly, at a minimum.  During the review every effort is made to ensure the care recipient is receiving the appropriate level of care by people with whom the client is comfortable and happy.  We can amend the plan at anytime.

Take a look at the map of our service area (all of Colorado) and locate the office closest to you. https://peoplecarehs.com/contact/

Your comfort with those people we send into your home is important to us.  For that reason, we take significant time to locate the “right” person for you.  We recruit, test, screen and train our team members to ensure that they meet, not only our standards, but, yours, too.   We thoroughly study the range of needs that you may have.  Then we match your needs to the expertise, skills and personal qualities of our caregivers for as good a match as possible.  Given normal work schedules, you may occasionally have a caregiver different that the one originally assigned.  Rest assured, however, that you will receive the same professional level of care from every PeopleCare Health Services team member.  Finally, your opinion is the ultimate determinant of whether we have chosen the right caregiver.  Only when you are satisfied will be know we have selected just the right caregiver for you.

As with any company, we hire a wide variety of quality people.  Each person we hire has their own unique background.  To make sure we have the best people available to serve your needs, we use an extensive background-checking system, assure that they pass rigorous health standards and are thoroughly trained to follow PeopleCare Health Services’s policies and procedures, while, at the same time, treating every client with dignity and respect.

How do you know if the job is being done correctly?  Clients and their families need the assurance that there is more than one person on the case so they feel comfortable with the process.  The process starts with a plan against which performance can be compared. (See the section “Written Plan of Care”) From that point monitors your progress by regular visits by our staff supervisors and regular telephone conversations to make sure all clients are satisfied with the level of service they are receiving.

All of our Qualified Caregivers are bonded, insured and covered by workers’ compensation insurance. This means you don’t have to worry because you and your loved one are protected from potential loss and liability. Our Criminal Bonding Insurance safeguards your loved one against employee theft and dishonesty. With an independent contractor, registry or other home care agency, you might be exposed to potential loss and liability, such as the medical costs of a caregiver injured in your loved one’s home. Our commitment to make home care as easy and convenient as possible includes providing you and your loved one with that peace of mind!

PeopleCare Health Services services are available for as little as a few hours a visit up to 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

We carefully screen and select the person who is assigned to assist you.  We do our best to match the right care giver to every client.  That being said, we encourage your involvement and always want you to be satisfied.  We will do our best to accommodate any requests you may have for a change in caregivers should that be necessary.

The best possible scenario is to establish a long-term caregiving relationship with every client.  As such, we plan for the same person who knows you the best to be serving your needs on a regular basis.  The way life works, however, there will be situations where the same caregiver is not available for every day your service is scheduled.  In those cases, someone else may provide your care.

You may want to refer to the section on the difference between “home care” and “home health care”.  At PeopleCare Health Services, we can remind clients to take prescribed medicines and the right times.  We do not administer medication.

PeopleCare Health Services does not require long term agreements.  We are available as long as our services are needed and you have no obligation to continue beyond that point.  We ask as a courtesy that you give us as much notice as possible when cancelling services.

The short answer is, “yes, you can”.  You may pay less per hour, but there are other considerations.  You will need to locate and qualify this individual.  Insurance and bonding would be your responsibility if you want those assurances.  Additionally, you would be responsible for paying the caregiver’s payroll taxes including withholding federal and state taxes, plus Social Security and Medicare taxes.  And, properly filing them with the various entities.

Consider, too, the availability of someone to fill in should your regular caregiver not be able to work on a scheduled day.  And, if the person you hire does not work out, you need to start the process all over again.  Are you comfortable supervising and occasionally having to criticize the work of others?  Firing them?  Particularly if they are known to you personally.

Hiring home care assistance through an agency relieves you of many practical and emotional challenges.

Of course, each client’s individual needs are different and require different services so the cost per hour varies somewhat.  You will find that our prices are comparable to most of the other home care agencies in the areas we serve.  To determine your exact pricing, we would visit your living environment to assess the services needed and establish pricing.  As a general rule, however, our rates range between $22-$30 per hour.    Remember, like with anything you get what you pay for.  Less expensive services do not always equate to better service.  Please use your best judgement when making decisions concerning the care of your loved one.

You will be billed every two weeks for our services.  We prefer to utilize a credit card to collect for our services, but we can send an invoice and accept a check.  We also require a 2 week deposit based on the hourly rate and number of hours requested for that period.

PeopleCare Health Services does provides personal care and companionship services to clients who live in assisted living communities or even nursing facilities should you desire personalized care or additional attention.

PeopleCare Health Services employees are never paid directly by the client, nor do they every accept tips.

PeopleCare Health Services adheres to all federal and state regulations relating to maintaining the privacy of your personal and healthcare information.  Our services agreement with you outlines the exact restrictions on the use or distribution of your information.  Your information is never released to a third party without your specific consent.

To start an engagement with PeopleCare Health Services, just give us a call.  We will visit you and other members of your family in your home to review your specific home care situation.  We will review your needs and the services we provide.  We will answer all of your questions.  Next we will create a Care Plan that outlines everything we decided together.  We will match you with the best possible caregiver for your situation and personality.  We can usually begin your care within a week.

These terms often come up with determining your eligibility to receive long term care insurance benefits.  Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) include the basic tasks essential for day-to-day functioning, such as walking, dressing, grooming, bathing, transferring from one position to another and toileting.

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) are activities which include such activities as house cleaning, laundry, paying bills and meal preparation.  Some seniors want assistance outside of their home with activities such as shopping and medical appointments.

PeopleCare Corporate

12015 E 46th Ave, Suite 650
Denver, CO 80239
Phone: (720) 863-1500
Fax: (720) 780-1390

 

PeopleCare North

200 East 7th Street, Suite 416
Loveland, CO 80537

Phone: (970) 480-0529
Fax: (970) 775-5811

 

PeopleCare South

201 W. 8th St., Suite 810
Pueblo, CO 81003
Phone: (719) 275-2575
Fax: (719) 467-3119

 

PeopleCare West

300 Stafford Lane, Suite 30240
Delta, CO 81416
Phone: (970) 874-0136
Fax: (970) 540-4005
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