Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who needs home care?

Anyone needing assistance with their daily living activities and prefers to maintain their independence at home but needs assistance due to short or longer-term disability, illness or simply the natural aging process. This could also include those people who live with and provide care for a loved one and need a respite, or time off, from their care-giving responsibilities.

Many factors can affect the decision of whether or not to begin home care services, but a good starting point is to ask yourself if you or your loved one has one or more of these concerns:

  • Illness or injury that requires assistance
  • Surgical recovery assistance
  • Families who live out of town
  • One or more unplanned hospital stays
  • One or more visits to the emergency room
  • One or more fall, trips, or slips
  • Forgets to take medication
  • Over/under dosing of medications
  • Personal hygiene not maintained
  • Home environment not maintained
  • Difficult and anxiety with new tasks
  • Loss of driving privileges
  • Any degree of cognitive impairment
     
Upon your request for care, we will immediately schedule a free initial assessment or evaluation with you and your loved one. At this initial assessment, a professional will meet with you to discuss the levels of care that meet your requirements. A Plan of Care will be developed for services going forward, and we will work with you closely to coordinate schedules and match a caregiver to your needs.
We may be reached at any time, 24 hours a day/7 days a week. Any messages left on voicemail will be responded to promptly.
Yes, we provide Homemaker/Companions, Home Health Aides and Certified Nurse Assistants that are available on a part-time or full-time basis.
Your security and peace of mind are of the utmost importance to us. Our screening process includes running professional criminal background checks and social security justification on all caregivers. We verify previous employment and experience, check work references and when applicable, verify CNA or HHA licenses are valid and current. Our goal is always to provide only trustworthy caregivers and our screening process is done with this in mind. We are always happy to provide you with more details and specific qualifications when discussing compatible caregivers with you.
Yes, we carry comprehensive bond and liability insurance that covers all our caregivers, our clients and our agency. It gives our clients peace of mind when doing business with us.

There is a minimum hourly requirement of three hours per shift. However, there is no minimum shift requirement per week. We have many clients that only need assistance for a couple hours in the morning to help them get their day started or that need a caregiver for a couple hours in the evening. The amount of service you receive is up to you.

The caregivers perform many different duties depending on clients’ needs and the skills and certification of the caregiver. All caregivers provide assistance with activities of daily living, including:
  • Bathing
  • Dressing
  • Toileting
  • Hygiene
  • Incontinence Care
  • Transferring
  • Ambulatory Assistance
  • Wheelchairs/Walkers Assistance
  • Exercise Assistance
  • Supervision
  • Respite Care
  • Morning and Bedtime Assistance
  • Communication with Family Members
  • Plant Watering
  • Clean and Mop Floors Medication Assistance
  • Assistance
  • Shopping & Errands
  • Prescription Pick Up
  • Escort to Appointments
  • Activity Planning
  • Reading Assistance
  • Conversation and Stimulation
  • Make Appointments
  • Light Housekeeping
  • Laundry and Bedding Change
  • Dusting and Vacuuming
  • Kitchen and Bathroom Cleaning
     
     
Even though we are usually successful at matching you with the right caregiver the first time, sometimes a caregiver just doesn’t work out, for whatever reason. If this happens, you can still feel confident because if for any reason, at any time, you are not completely satisfied with your caregiver simply call us. We will listen in detail to better define your needs and preferences and quickly provide you with a more compatible caregiver. You never need to feel uncomfortable about asking for a change, we are experts in making sure the transition to new a caregiver is a comfortable and easy process.
If your regular caregiver is ill, has scheduled time off or has a last minute emergency and is unable to provide services, we will immediately start working on finding a temporary substitute caregiver, or if needed, a permanent replacement caregiver.
No. HomeCare for Independent Living requires no long term commitment for our service. However, cancellations must be made 24 hours in advance of a scheduled visit. HomeCare for Independent Living reserves the right to charge for a scheduled visit if insufficient notice is given.
Most long term care policies provide coverage; however, each policy is different and may have requirements that need to be met before they will pay. We understand that sometimes these policies can be complicated with confusing terminology. If you have a long term care insurance policy we strongly recommend that you call your agent or insurer for benefit clarification and that you begin the claims process as early as you can. We are happy to assist in any way that we can and will gladly contact your agent or insurer and answer any questions they may have and provide them with any requested documentation, for example, a copy of our business license.

TESTIMONIALS

The caregivers of HomeCare for Independent Living have been taking excellent care of my mother's needs for over a year and half. At 83, my mother lives alone since my father passed away, and she is beginning to have memory loss issues. Kathleen, the Owner, very patiently listens to our concerns and provides excellent care of my mother according to family's wishes. Kathleen always seems to be in touch with her caregivers, and calls and consults the family whenever an important issue comes up regarding our mother. Since both me and my brother are out of state, we both feel very much at ease having Kathleen manage my mother's medication, nutritional needs, social needs, personal hygiene, and general wellbeing. Kathleen's caregivers have all been exceptionally nice to my mother. Kathleen sincerely cares about my mother's wellbeing, and I highly recommend HomeCare for Independent Living for providing excellent care for seniors.

– R. Basco (mother resides in Belchertown, MA)

I have been working as a Nurse and Nurse Case Manager for 36 years. During that time, I have never met a more dedicated group of caregivers than those of HomeCare for Independent Living. They have met every challenge given to them, regarding the care of my patient and developed a team approach to meet the patient's every need. They have my highest recommendation and I look forward to using them in the future.

– Cynthia Bourbeau, RN, CRRN, CCM, CNLCP Belchertown, MA

My aunt, who had great difficulty walking, was well attended to by Kathleen and her staff at HomeCare for Independent Living. The twenty-four-hour reliable care they provided was done with gentle efficiency, cheerful conversation, lovingly performed in all regards. Whether doing personal care, giving her rides to a favorite grocery store, to doctor visits, or providing favorite foods for occasional treats, or helping her dress for her 100th Birthday Party, staff was sensitive to her needs and wishes! Once again, I thank HomeCare for Independent Living for the reliable care given my aunt. I knew she was in good hands.

– A.H., Williamstown, MA

Dear Kathleen, I want to thank you for all of your help, professionalism, concern, and most importantly, honesty when taking care of my 91-year-old cousin. Your actions and attention far exceeded my expectations. Caregivers like yours are hard to come by. The young ladies who took care of her around the clock were pleasant and very personable, to a point where they have become friends. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done for us. My family and my cousin thank you. Sincerely,

– Jeff H. Miller, (cousin resides in Northfield, MA)

We've been very pleased with the 24-hour care that our parents have received from Kathleen and the caregivers of HomeCare for Independent Living. She has been very responsive to our needs, always available to brainstorm solutions to challenges, and supportive of our requests to ensure the best care possible for our parents.

– K.D., Greenfield, MA