FAQ

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS?

  • Affordable Home Care Agency of California, Inc. has been in business since 1997. We have a reputation for excellent customer service and a willingness to go the extra mile to make sure you are completely satisfied with our service.

WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED AND WHAT AREAS DO YOU SERVICE? 

  • Our administrative offices are located in Concord, California, however we provide service throughout the Bay Area, including Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano Counties. If you are unsure if your city is located in one of these counties, click on “CITIES WE SERVICE” for further details.

ARE YOU UNSURE OF WHETHER IT’S TIME TO GET A NON-MEDICAL CAREGIVER?

  • Many factors can affect this decision, 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
    • Personal hygiene not maintained
    • Home environment not maintained
    • Difficult and anxiety with new tasks
    • Loss of driving privileges
    • Any degree of cognitive impairment

WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM HAVING A NON-MEDICAL CAREGIVER?

  • Anyone who needs non-medical home care assistance on a regular or occasional basis can benefit greatly from our referral services. Referred caregivers can provide assistance with daily activities for enhanced independence. Using Affordable Home Care Agency’s referral service can save you a significant amount of money since you won’t be paying the substantially higher prices charged by home health agencies.  Below is a list of common conditions clients may have that require them to receive non-medical help in the home:
    • Physical disabilities, either temporary or permanent
    • Alzheimer’s care
    • Dementia care
    • Memory impairment, and/or cognitive impairments
    • Stroke care
    • Cancer care
    • Elder care for those needing assistance with regular activities
    • Hospice care
    • A need for respite care
    • Medical illness recovery
    • Surgical recovery
    • Parkinson’s disease
    • Chronic conditions (such as heart disease, vascular disease, COPD, diabetes, kidney failure, the effects of strokes and many other
    • Elder care for frail seniors who are at risk of falls and other causes of injury
    • Senior care for isolated seniors
    • Family members needing assistance with daily responsibilities
  • Affordable Home Care Agency’s registry of professional caregivers include:
    • Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA)
    • Certified Home Health Aides (HHA)
    • Personal Care Attendants

HOW QUICKLY CAN I START SERVICE?

  • We pride ourselves on responding to your needs very quickly.  We can usually refer a compatible caregiver within a day, or even the same day depending on your needs.

WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP TO STARTING SERVICES?

  • You can inquire through our website on the “contact us” page, or simply give us a call at our toll free number (800) 517-0757 and we’ll begin the discussion on how we can best serve you and your loved ones.

WHAT IF I NEED HELP ON A WEEKEND OR EVENING – ARE YOU AVAILABLE TO ASSIST ME IN A TIMELY MANNER?

  • One of our referral specialists are always available to assist you 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. Outside of normal business hours, a live person will answer your call and either put you directly through to our on-call referral specialist or have them return your call quickly.

WHAT IF I ONLY NEED SERVICE FOR AN HOUR OR TWO?

  • We have no minimum hourly requirement; you decide how much or how little service you want your caregiver to provide. You should not be required to use and pay for more service than you need.

WHAT IF I ONLY NEED YOUR SERVICES TEMPORARILY, FOR INSTANCE, WHILE MY REGULAR PRIVATE CAREGIVER IS AWAY? 

  • We do not require that you commit to any amount of service or any length of time. We have many clients that use us to help with their supplemental caregiver needs on an occasional or one time only basis.

AM I ABLE TO INTERVIEW CAREGIVER(S)?

  • Yes.  You can request to interview referred caregiver(s) to decide on compatibility. Please note that some caregivers we refer charge for interviewing.  You can choose to do a telephone interview if that is more convenient.

HOW DO YOU SCREEN CAREGIVERS?

  • 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 verification on caregivers listed on our registry. 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 refer 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.

WHAT TYPE OF SERVICE CAN THE CAREGIVERS PROVIDE? 

  • Referred professional non-medical caregivers have a wide range of skills, talents and comprehensive caregiving experience, which we match to your unique needs. They are not nurses and do not perform medical services however, a significant number of our clients are receiving medical care from a licensed home health agency and use our agency to refer caregivers for their non-medical needs, saving themselves substantial amounts of money.
  • Personal Care Services and Activities of Daily Living: 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, Medication Reminders, Feeding, Meal Preparation, Grocery Shopping & Errands, Prescription Pick Up, Escort to Appointments, Activity Planning, Reading Assistance, Conversation and Stimulation, Light Housekeeping.

HOW DO YOU MATCH ME WITH A COMPATIBLE CAREGIVER FOR MY NEEDS?

  • The process starts as soon as you call to inquire about our services. Over the phone your Personal Referral Specialist will gather information about your unique needs and preferences, desired schedule and discuss items you may not even have thought of, for example, do you have pets and if so, how important is it to you that your referred caregiver be an animal lover? After enough information and detail has been gathered, your personal referral specialist will identify and discuss with you one or more caregivers that have the needed skills and experience, availability, personality and compatibility according to your preferences from our large registry of professional caregivers. This can often be done during your initial phone call, especially when time is of the essence. The final choice of caregiver(s) is always up to you – you are never just “assigned” a caregiver.

WHAT IF MY REGULARLY SCHEDULED CAREGIVER IS UNABLE TO COME?

  • 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 to refer a substitute caregiver upon your request.

WHAT IF I NEED TO DISCONTINUE SERVICE?

  • We understand that life is full of unexpected changes and that it may be hard to know in advance when your needs will change. If you need to discontinue service, we only ask that you provide a 24-hour notice.We do not require that you use our services for a specific length of time. We are here to meet your needs. It is important to know that if you want to discontinue service with your caregiver but still need assistance, there is no need to feel uncomfortable or to cancel services with the agency, we can easily refer another caregiver upon your request.  We are experts in making sure a transition to a new caregiver is a comfortable and easy process.

WILL MEDICARE, HEALTH INSURANCE OR VA BENEFITS PAY FOR THIS SERVICE?

  • Unfortunately, services are usually not paid for by these agencies. However, services provided by your caregiver may be covered under your Long Term Care Insurance Policy (see below for more details).

WILL MY LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE POLICY COVER YOUR SERVICE?

  • 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.

AGENCY DISCLOSURE: 

As a legally operating California Domestic Referral Agency (also commonly referred to as a “registry”), we have an extensive pool of professional caregivers that we match with our client’s unique needs and preferences ensuring they receive a fully screened compatible caregiver with the necessary skills and experience. California has specific Civil and UI codes that govern referral agencies and Affordable Home Care Agency complies with these codes. Affordable Home Care Agency of California, Inc. is not the employer of the domestic worker it referred to you. The domestic worker may be your employee or an independent contractor depending on the relationship you have with him or her. If you direct and control the manner and means by which the domestic worker performs his or her work you may have employer responsibilities, including employment taxes and workers’ compensation, under state and federal law. For additional information contact your local Employment Development Department and the Internal Revenue Service.