Questions for Home Health Care Services

 

How does C&S Healthcare Services differ from other home care agencies?

I have an aging parent. How can your services help me?​

Do you provide assistance in assisted living communities, nursing homes and hospitals?

How do I know I am getting a qualified caregiver?

​How do I know when my loved one needs at home care?

Are your caregivers supervised? If so, how often and by whom?

Will I be able to have the same caregiver each day I have service?

If I need to speak to someone from your office after hours, is someone available?

What training do you provide to your caregivers?

Can we meet the caregiver before they start working with our loved one?

Why should I use a home care agency instead of hiring a caregiver privately?​

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We differ from other Houston home care agencies because we offer transitional care. 

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Transitional care means we

• Coordinate care across all healthcare settings

• Perform comprehensive assessments

• Collaborate with the client, family and healthcare providers

• Facilitate continuity of care between all healthcare settings

• Facilitate continuity of care between all healthcare settings

• Communicate with all parties involved in care planning

 

When your loved one just needs a “little help” or needs to transition to a higher level of care that is more medically complex there is no need to find another agency. Our clients may keep the caregivers they have come to know and trust. A Registered Nurse oversees all care planning.

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C&S Healthcare Services is licensed by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services under Home and Community Support Services Agencies. Two categories of home health services are available, depending on the amount of care needed:

Licensed Home Health Services

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• Nursing for medically complex care

  • Assessments

  • Injections

  • Wound care

  • Vital signs

  • Care coordination with all healthcare professionals

• Medication Management

  • Pre-fill medication boxes

  • Re-order prescriptions

  • Monitoring for safety and compliance

• Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy

  • Individualized plan to meet the client's specific needs

• Home Care Aides/Licensed Home Health attendants for assistance with:

  • Personal care needs

  • Household tasks

  • Ambulation

  • Transportation

  • Medication administration

  • Insulin injections

  • Blood sugar finger sticks

  • Vital signs

• Personal Assistance Service:

  • Companionship for "just a little" help

  • Activities and exercise

  • Meal preparation

  • Medication reminders

  • Personal chores, shopping transportation

  • Stand by assist or full assistance - bathing, dressing, grooming

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Yes. Companions and sitters are available to meet the needs of your loved one in any Houston area assisted living community, nursing home or hospital 24/7.

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Rest assured that all of our caregivers are thoroughly screened before being hired. We are committed to hiring only dependable, reliable caregivers to care for our  clients. Our caregivers are supported and supervised by Registered Nurses.

Upon applying with C&S Healthcare Services, Inc., all applicants are given an initial screening and two follow-up interviews.

We run a national background check, confirm previous work history, check references, perform a Driver's Record check (annually), and ensure that they are eligible for employment.

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We check credentials against the Texas Department of Health and Human Services Nurse Aide Registry and Misconduct Registry to ensure they do not have any complaints filed against them.

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All hired caregivers are required to have prior healthcare experience, a negative TB test, valid Texas auto insurance, and a Texas Driver's License.

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Business owners insurance protects the consumer and employees are insured under a Non-Subscribers insurance for work related injuries. A Registered Nurse conducts an in-depth orientation which includes written testing and skills competency with each new employee and annually thereafter.

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Often our loved ones do not let us know when they need help out of fear of giving up their independence. However, having a caregiver present in the home does not take away their independence, but rather allows them to maintain it. Below are a few things to consider when deciding if home care is right for your loved one

Support system - Are there family members living nearby who are able to check on them regularly?

Health -

• Is their strength and coordination deteriorating?

• Do they have a history of falls?

• Are they able to bathe themselves?

• Has their personal hygiene declined?

• Are they mentally alert?

Household -

• Is their house being kept up?

• Are they still able to pay their bills on their own?

• Are there stacks of unopened mail?

• Are there groceries in the house and are they able to cook meals?

If you have questions on whether or not at-home care is right for your loved one, consider asking their doctor. Their doctor will be able to tell you if there have been changes to be concerned about and can suggest appropriate actions to take.

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To ensure safe home care, all caregivers are supervised through unannounced client home visits by a Registered Nurse at least every 90 days, or as changes in their health care or living environment dictates.

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Yes, our goal is to maintain continuity of care with all of our home care clients. We take into consideration the number or hours and days you are requesting service and schedule the caregivers accordingly.

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Yes, we have a Registered Nurse Care Manager on-call 24 hours a day for our clients. Whatever your question or concern, there is always someone to help who is just a phone call away.

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At C&S our caregivers go through extensive competency testing before touching their first client. Competency evaluation is ongoing and includes orientation to each individual client’s care needs. We recognize that each of our home clients is unique with specific preferences. Caregivers are instructed on how to precisely care for each client and we also ensure that home care clients and caregivers are matched appropriately. Upon hire, all caregivers undergo an in- depth orientation which is overseen by a Registered Nurse. Care giving instruction and education is ongoing through in-services and testing. If a client requires specific acute care (Foleys, G-tube, etc.), each assigned caregiver is given specialized instruction to ensure competency.

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All caregivers assigned to a specific client have been thoroughly screened by our agency. We take great pride in matching the appropriate person with each of our home health care clients, based on personality, client preferences and needs. However, in the cases where the home care client or family would like to meet with the caregiver before care begins, we do everything we can to make it happen.

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There are several reasons to turn to C&S rather than hire a caregiver independently:

• Caregivers go through hours of extensive care instruction for individual home health clients to ensure the safety and comfort of the client.

• Each caregiver must pass a complete background check, driver record check, Nurse Aide and Misconduct registry check and is insured through the agency.

• Caregivers are supervised and supported by a Registered Nurse 24/7.

• Having an agency provides you with peace of mind. When a caregiver cannot cover a shift the agency is responsible for providing a relief caregiver. YOU are not responsible for finding a replacement.

• The agency is responsible for payroll taxes so YOU are not the employer.

• The agency has insurance to cover job related injuries.