How is HomeLife Partners different from other non-medical in-home care providers?

We are a not a large corporation with multiple offices and anonymous employees. HomeLife Partners is a family run company that has focused on serving seniors and their families for the past 8 years in the Los Angeles South Bay and Orange County beach cities. The owner, Karen Galas, is a certified Senior Advisor (CSA), and a member of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers.  Our Director of Care, Erika VanBuren, is a Certified Geriatric Care Manager (CMC) and has been in health care for over 20 years.   As professional geriatric counselors we can anticipate the needs of our clients and their families.   We provide the guidance and expertise during the difficult transitions and are much more effective at creating a safe and healthy home for our clients. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for any inquires, scheduling changes, or emergencies. We have no minimum hourly requirement of service per day and select only the most trusted and compassionate caregivers through our rigorous screening process. return

How do you screen your Caregivers?

We start with a phone interview to establish their qualifications and assure their English is easily understood.  Once we determine they have more than 1 year of experience working with seniors, are licensed drivers with a car and insurance, are legal to work in the US, we invite them to come in for an interview.  The interview process is lengthy and it ends with meeting the owner for the final decision “would I put this person in my mother’s home?”  We then run a criminal background check that covers all 50 states from parking tickets to felonies.  We verify their eligibility to work in the US, their SS#, perform a credit cross reference and run a DMV report for their driving record. We scrutinize their medical history and their previous work history including a to call each referance.  We also use our instincts which have served us well over the many years in the home care business. return

What kind of training do your employees have?

Our training program was developed by the Caregiver Institute and is comprised of 8 areas of focus including Managing Medications, Mental Status Changes, Nutritional Support, Illness & Chronic Disease, Body Mechanics and Bed Care.  In addition to the basic training, each caregiver receives educational material that is client specific.  For example, if our client had diabetes, the caregiver would be given meal guidelines and information about the disease to help them better understand our client’s needs.  We also provide on-going monthly caregiver education on a variety of subjects such as recognizing when someone is having a stroke, how to effectively communicate with someone with Alzheimer’s and home safety check lists. return

How do you supervise your Caregivers?

Our on-going Quality Assurance program includes unannounced home visits usually conducted monthly or weekly at the start of service.  We review over 20 areas of the household, the client and the caregiver to assure we are meeting our standards and that the Care Plan is being followed.  Any corrective actions are noted and addressed.  A copy of the Home Visit Report is then mailed to our clients for review.  We also contact each caregiver by phone weekly to get an update on their client and document any changes. return

Do you have a minimum amount of hours of service per day?

Although HomeLife Partners has no hourly minimum for services, most of our clients that need light assistance find 3- 4 hours per visit beneficial. return

How long will it take to have a caregiver start?

We understand the need for a caregiver can be sudden and that’s why we are available 24/7 to solve this problem.  As we always have relief staff on call for our regular clients, we can usually have a caregiver or staff member at your home within 2 hours.  For new clients, we can usually staff the same day. return

How much does your service cost?

Home care is the least expensive and most flexible option when it comes to professional assistance for seniors and is the first choice before any big decisions need to be made. The costs depend upon the amount of time we spend in the home and the level of care required.  When a client needs a small amount of help such as driving, shopping, cooking meals and light housekeeping, the cost will range from $17-20 per hour.  If full time care is needed, the cost can go as low as $8 per hour.  Prices lower than these are often for undocumented, unskilled, independent contractors who are not true employees of the home care company.  Independently contracted caregivers are not bonded or insured in any way including worker’s compensation, liability, automotive and have no taxes withheld from their wages.  This situation leaves the client, not the company, with all the liability should something unfortunate happen or the caregiver has tax issues in the future.  The familiar saying “you get what you pay for” applies to home care services as well. return

How do I get started with HomeLife Partners?

Call us when you’re ready and we can schedule a complimentary Needs Assessment (310) 465-0100. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to meet with you and your family to help define how we can make your lives simpler and safer. return