Does Medicare pay for SelectCare’s services?
What Does SelectCare charge for service?
Are caregivers bonded and insured?
What is SelectCare’s service area?
What is the Field Nurse Supervisor’s role?
What is a Home Health Aide (HHA)?
What is the difference between a Home Health Aide and a Personal Care Aide?
How is the privacy of my personal information maintained?
What are my rights as a patient?
Do I need a physician’s authorization for home care services?
Will my family member always receive care from the same caregiver?
A loved one is visiting New York City on vacation, can you assist us on a short term care basis?
What is the definition of ADL (Activities of Daily Living)?
What is Catastrophic Health Insurance?
Does Medicare pay for SelectCare’s services?
As a Licensed Home Health Care Service Agency, SelectCare’s services are not covered by Medicare, however, many clients choose to supplement their Medicare-provided home care plans with SelectCare’s services.
For more information on how various insurance policies can cover SelectCare’s services at little to no cost for our clients, visit our “How Is Home Care Paid For?” and “Long Term Care Insurance Reimbursement” pages.
What Does SelectCare charge for service?
SelectCare’s rates vary depending on the needs of every client, but prospective clients will never be billed for a in home assessment visit from one of SelectCare’s RN Field Nurse Supervisors.
Before beginning services, all clients receive a Service Agreement that outlines fees, billing expectations, overtime and holiday charges for their review and approval.
For more information on SelectCare’s standard billing policies, visit our Billing Information page.
Are caregivers bonded and insured?
All SelectCare Home Caregivers are bonded and insured through the agency’s business liability insurance, and all caregivers are carefully screened during our multi-stage hiring process. Our process includes verification of references, certificates and skills as well as interviews with both Service Coordinators and Nursing Supervisors.
For more information on how we choose our caregivers, visit our Caregiver Selection Process page.
What is SelectCare’s service area?
SelectCare Home Health Care Services cares for clients in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. If you do not live in these boroughs, SelectCare’s team is always available to provide you with guidance and referrals in your area.
What is the Field Nurse Supervisor’s role?
Every SelectCare client works with an RN Field Nurse Supervisor to ensure the client’s Plan of Care fits their individual needs. The RN Field Nurse Supervisor is the point person for that client, fielding questions about the client’s care, serving as the client’s advocate and coordinating SelectCare’s services with other medical care providers working with the client.
At SelectCare, every new and prospective client meets with an RN Field Nurse Supervisor before beginning service for a free in-home assessment, as well as free nursing visits to adapt the plan of care to the client’s changing needs.
There is always at least one RN Supervisor on-call after business hours to provide emergency support to our clients.
To learn more about our team of RN Field Nurse Supervisors, visit the Our Staff page.
What is a Home Health Aide (HHA)?
A Home Health Aide in New York is a person who has successfully completed a home health aide training program approved by the New York State Department of Health. Home Health Aides (HHA) provide personal care, housekeeping and travel assistance.
Home Health Aides are supervised on an ongoing basis by RN Field Nurse Supervisors and annually receive twelve (12) hours of continuing education and training from SelectCare’s RN Field Nurse Supervisors.
What is the difference between a Home Health Aide (HHA) and a Personal Care Aide?
Many in-home health care agencies offer both Personal Care Aide and Home Health Aide services, however, SelectCare only employs Home Health Aides because their expanded training allows them to provide clients with more comprehensive hands-on care.
Certified Home Health Aides receive 75 hours of training, including 16 hours of supervised practical training, while Personal Care Aides receive 40 classroom training hours and no supervised practical training.
Most Long Term Care Insurance Plans will not cover services provided by Personal Care Aides and many require a copy of the employees’ Home Health Aides certificate as proof of their training, as well as daily documentation of the care given to the client.
Finally, many home care clients who begin services with a Personal Care Aide might be forced to change caregivers in the event their needs grow beyond the scope of their training. To avoid this disruption, SelectCare begins all clients with the assistance of a certified Home Health Aide.
Do I have to feed my staff?
Nurses and home health aides will bring in their own food unless the client requests otherwise.
If you have a food allergy or a religious requirement that does not allow certain foods to be brought into your home, let your RN Field Nurse Supervisor know and we will ensure your needs are observed.
Will you take care of my pet?
SelectCare’s team understands that pets hold a special place in the lives of many of our clients and we are happy to build their care into your overall plan of care. 
If you believe you will need assistance with any pet care tasks (walking, feeding, bathing, etc.) we ask that you tell your RN Field Nurse Supervisor, who will make every effort to accommodate your pet care needs into your Plan of Care.
Please note that there may be an additional daily charge for pet care. If this is the case, it will be included in your service agreement for review before services begin.
How is the privacy of my personal information maintained?
Like all reputable health care providers, SelectCare follows all New York State mandated patient privacy policies. This includes keeping all electronic patient records safely secured on an encrypted server and ongoing oversight from our dedicated IT staff. SelectCare’s administrators continue to monitor and update our privacy processes as regulations require.
All conversations with clients are kept confidential and SelectCare staff will only communicate with a client’s other healthcare providers, insurance representatives and family members with the client (or the client’s representative’s) permission.
Providing quality home health care is built on a foundation of trust, and honoring a client’s wishes for confidentiality is one of our agency’s top priorities.
What are my rights as a patient?
As a private home health care service recipient, all services provided by SelectCare are performed at the client (or their representative’s) request. This means the client is always given the final decision on staffing, scheduling and the care they receive.
For a complete list of the New York State Home Health Care Patient’s Bill of Rights, click here.
SelectCare has formal, company-wide policies addressing issues including: Conflict of Interest, Code of Conduct and Ethics, Fraud Prevention, Harassment Prevention and an Open Door Policy that, combined with our Corporate Compliance Program, ensures ethical standards are maintained in our office and our clients’ homes.
Do I need a physician’s authorization for home care services?
Yes. SelectCare’s Director of Nursing coordinate the retrieval of this authorization and updates as regulated by the New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH). All clients are required to have a primary care physician who is able to provide information regarding health history, medications and approve your plan of care.
Will my family member always receive care from the same caregiver?
Nothing is more important in home health care than trust, and that is why SelectCare’s staff works tirelessly to build a small, reliable team of home health caregivers for every client and build consistent, reliable schedules that clients can count on every week.
In the event a caregiver becomes ill or otherwise cannot make it to a scheduled shift, fill-in caregivers are selected with the same care and due diligence displayed during a client’s initial staffing decision, and fill-in caregivers are given a one-on-one briefing with the client’s RN Field Nurse Supervisor to ensure the client’s needs, wants and plan of care are observed and closely followed.
How do I file a complaint?
- Before you call the agency, write down your concerns so that you are able to address them in a calm manner.
- Deal with the correct staff member; find out who has the authority to take action and assist in resolving the problem:
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- State the FACTS objectively
- Explain the IMPACT the facts have on the person receiving the care
- Speak RESPECTFULLY to the person assisting you
- REQUEST the agency work with you to RESOLVE the problem
- What are the CONSEQUENCES if the problem can not be resolved in a satisfactory manner
- FOLLOW UP the complaint if necessary in writing
Will taking an extended vacation impact my status as a SelectCare client? What should I expect on upon my return?
Clients are considered active so long as they receive service a minimum of once a month. If a client takes an extended leave from the city (more than one month), your RN Field Nurse Supervisor will meet with you upon your return for a free in-home reassessment and our coordinators will work to ensure your previous caregivers can return to assist you.
A loved one is visiting New York City on vacation, can you assist us on a short term care basis?
Absolutely, visitors from all over the world have utilized our home health care services for short term supplemental care while enjoying New York City. By communicating with SelectCare before your visit, our agency can put the necessary planning in place to ensure you have a helping hand throughout your stay.
Activities of Daily Living (ADL)
Home caregivers help clients perform daily tasks needed to maintain long-term health and hygiene despite illness, injury, or disability.
These tasks are organized into six categories, called activities of daily living (ADLs):
- Bathing – The ability to clean oneself and perform personal grooming, like shaving and brushing teeth.
- Dressing – The ability to dress oneself appropriately and successfully use buttons, zippers, and other closures.
- Eating – The ability to use utensils and safely chew and swallow food.
- Transferring – Also known as ambulation, the ability to safely get into and out of bed or assistive devices like a wheelchair, and the ability to safely move without the support of others.
- Toileting – The ability to use a toilet alone, including getting on and off of the toilet.
- Continence – The ability to control bladder and bowel functions.
Here’s additional information on Activities of Daily Living on our blog.
