The seventh in our series, Q&A on Care with Wendy, where our Executive Director and Co-Owner Wendy Adlerstein, LSW, answers frequently asked questions about FirstLight Home Care of West Suburban Boston services.
This week she explains how our services are priced.
Q: How are services priced and what is included in your rates?
A: Generally, care is priced hourly or a daily “Live-In Rate” may be available if the situation and needs can accommodate a Live-In. Hourly rates are higher for shorter visits (less than 8 hours, and again, less than 4 hours) as short shifts are less attractive to Caregivers and higher pay is offered to incentivize and compensate accordingly. In special circumstances such as a second person in the home requiring care or a client with a communicable disease, a higher rate will be discussed with you upon intake or as needs change. Holidays listed on the rate sheet are billed at time and half. Your Care Coordinator will contact you in advance to remind you of the holiday rate and confirm if services are needed.
The majority of every dollar of care which appears on your invoice covers caregiver wages, related payroll, other taxes, and mandated benefits such as sick time, as well as worker’s compensation premiums. But these costs do not represent the whole dollar. It is important to remember that all the office staff’s care coordination and HR-related time is incorporated into the client rates. We have professional, on-call office staff available 24/7 for any concerns or needs. FirstLight supervises our caregivers to ensure that the care being provided is according to your care plan.
We do not charge extra for the many hours of care coordination, supervisory visits and care plan re-assessments, frequent communication, and updates as well as any Long-Term Care (LTC) insurance claim assistance. Nor do we explicitly charge for the many hours needed to identify and hire the best professional caregivers which includes pre-screening followed by more in-depth screening, personal interviews, criminal background checks, and reference checks.
Learn the differences between Personal Care, Companion Care, and Dementia Care. Or what is often called Respite Care which can involve elements of all three areas.
About Wendy: Wendy Adlerstein, LSW is an expert on aging and home care with over 25 years of experience helping seniors and their families navigate these difficult decisions. As Co-owner and Executive Director of FirstLight Home Care of West Suburban Boston and Boston-Back Bay, she runs a business that provides private home care services that allow adults and seniors to receive the support they deserve in the comfortable, familiar setting of their own home. If you have a question for Wendy, please feel free to reach out to her at 781-559-0220 or by email at wadlerstein@firstlighthomecare.com.