About Home Care Frequently Asked Questions
Starting home care often comes with questions. Understanding what home care provides, how services work, and what families can expect can make the process easier. Here are answers to some of the most common questions about Care Connect services.
What is non-medical home care?
Non-medical home care helps individuals remain safe, comfortable, and as independent as possible in their own homes. Services may include assistance with personal care and daily routines, companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, errands, transportation, respite care, and other everyday activities. Non-medical home care does not replace skilled nursing or other licensed medical care. Instead, it provides practical day-to-day support that can help individuals continue living at home while giving families additional assistance and peace of mind.
What is the difference between home care and home health care?
Although the terms sound similar, home care and home health care provide different types of support. Home care focuses on non-medical assistance with activities of daily living, personal care, companionship, homemaking, meal preparation, transportation, supervision, and maintaining daily routines. Home health care typically provides clinical or skilled medical services, such as nursing, wound care, physical therapy, or occupational therapy, under the direction of licensed healthcare professionals. Some individuals may receive both types of care at the same time because each serves a different purpose.
How do I know when it may be time to consider home care?
Families may begin considering home care when everyday activities become more difficult or when additional support could help someone remain safely and comfortably at home. Signs may include difficulty with bathing or dressing, missed meals, increased fall concerns, isolation, difficulty maintaining the home, changes in memory or daily routines, or family caregiver exhaustion. Home care can also provide temporary support following hospitalization, rehabilitation, illness, or another change in circumstances.
Does Care Connect provide dementia and Alzheimer’s care?
Yes. Care Connect provides non-medical in-home support for individuals living with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Support may include maintaining familiar routines, companionship, personal care, meal assistance, safety supervision, meaningful activities, redirection, and respite for family caregivers. Because dementia affects each person differently, care is based on the individual’s abilities, needs, preferences, routines, and established care plan.
Can Care Connect help while someone is receiving hospice?
Yes. Care Connect can provide non-medical home care alongside hospice services. Hospice and other licensed healthcare professionals remain responsible for medications, symptom management, clinical care, and medical decisions. Care Connect caregivers can provide additional day-to-day support such as personal care, companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping, comfort-focused routines, and assistance for family caregivers.
Can Care Connect help after a hospital or rehabilitation stay?
Yes. Our Hospital-to-Home services can provide additional support as an individual transitions back home. Depending on the care plan, assistance may include personal care, meal preparation, companionship, household tasks, transportation, errands, safety awareness, and help re-establishing daily routines. Support can be arranged for a short transition period or continued longer if additional assistance is needed.
Can caregivers remind clients to take their medications?
Yes. Care Connect caregivers can provide medication reminders as part of non-medical home care. Caregivers do not prescribe medications, change dosages, make clinical decisions, or perform medication-related tasks that require a licensed healthcare professional. Our role is to provide reminders and appropriate non-medical support according to the client’s established care plan.
Do you offer overnight or extensive home care schedules?
Yes. Care Connect can accommodate a variety of care schedules, including extended hours, overnight support, and live-in care, based on the client’s needs, caregiver availability, and agreed-upon care plan. Every family’s situation is different, and our team will discuss the amount and type of support needed to establish an appropriate schedule.
Where does Care Connect provide services?
Care Connect provides non-medical home care throughout New Haven County, Fairfield County, and Litchfield County, Connecticut. Service availability may vary based on the client’s town, requested schedule, and caregiver availability. Families can contact our team to confirm current availability in their community.
Do you offer fall-alert or personal emergency response equipment?
Yes. Care Connect offers personal emergency response and fall-alert equipment through Medical Guardian, with options and fees based on the equipment and monitoring services selected. New clients who begin Care Connect home care services at 20 or more hours per week will receive a personal emergency response system at no additional cost. Our team can review the available equipment options and help determine which system best fits the client’s safety needs and lifestyle.
Do you accept long-term care insurance?
Yes. Care Connect works with clients who use long-term care insurance to help pay for eligible home care services. Coverage, benefit amounts, elimination periods, and documentation requirements vary by individual policy. Families should review their specific policy benefits, and our team can assist with the home care documentation and service information that may be required by the insurance carrier.
Does Care Connect provide home care for veterans?
Yes. Care Connect proudly provides non-medical home care for veterans and their families. We are a VA Community Care Network provider through Optum. Eligibility, authorized services, approved hours, and coverage are determined through the applicable VA program. Veterans and their families may contact our team to discuss authorized VA Community Care services or private-pay home care options.
What happens before home care services begin?
Before care begins, our team learns about the individual’s needs, routines, preferences, schedule, home environment, and the type of assistance being requested. We then establish an appropriate care plan and schedule so the client, family, and caregiver have clear expectations about the support being provided. This also gives families an opportunity to ask questions and discuss important routines, preferences, and concerns before the first scheduled visit.
Am I locked into a long-term contract when I start home care?
No. Care Connect does not require clients to enter into a long-term binding contract for home care services. Before care begins, clients complete the necessary enrollment and service documents, including a service agreement, privacy and HIPAA-related forms, Client Bill of Rights, Department of Consumer Protection information, and other required intake documents. These documents explain our services, policies, responsibilities, and your rights as a client, but they do not commit you to receiving care for a specific length of time. We understand that home care needs can change. Services may be increased, reduced, or discontinued in accordance with our service policies and notice requirements. Our goal is to earn your continued trust through the quality of our care, not by locking you into a long-term contract.
Will we have an opportunity to meet the caregiver before services begin?
Yes. Caregiver compatibility is an important part of creating a successful home care experience. After learning about the client’s care needs, schedule, personality, preferences, routines, and household expectations, Care Connect identifies caregivers whose experience and availability may be a good match. Whenever possible, clients and families have an opportunity to meet or interview the caregiver we identify before regular services begin. This provides an opportunity to ask questions, discuss expectations, and determine whether the caregiver feels like the right fit. If there are concerns about the match, families are encouraged to speak with our team so we can work toward identifying a caregiver who better meets the client’s needs and preferences. Our goal is not simply to fill a schedule, but to build a comfortable, dependable care relationship.
How will my family stay informed about care?
Communication is an important part of the Care Connect experience. Clients and authorized family members have access to our communication portal, providing a convenient way to stay connected and informed about care. The portal supports ongoing communication between families and the Care Connect team and helps families remain involved even when they cannot be present during every visit. Our office team is also available to address questions, concerns, scheduling needs, or changes in care. We believe families should feel informed, involved, and connected throughout the home care experience.
How quickly can services begin?
The start of care depends on the client’s needs, requested schedule, completion of the initial assessment and care plan, and caregiver availability. Our team works to make the process as smooth as possible. If care is needed quickly, families should let us know so we can determine current availability and the earliest possible start date.
Can services change over time?
Yes. Home care should be able to adapt as an individual’s needs change. A client may initially need companionship or homemaking assistance and later require additional personal care or more hours of support. Other clients may need temporary assistance following a hospitalization or change in circumstances and eventually require fewer hours. Care plans and schedules can be reviewed and adjusted as needs change, based on the appropriate scope of non-medical home care and caregiver availability.