Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Supple Senior Care?
Supple Senior Care is an Irish-owned, family business providing professional, high-quality in-home care to seniors and people of all ages.
Who does Supple Senior Care serve and where do they provide their service?
Supple Senior Care provide compassionate, quality care to clients of all ages, physical conditions and cognitive abilities. We offer a wide range of services including personal care, alzheimers care, dementia care and companionship.
The areas we service include:
- San Francisco
- Daly City
- Pacifica
- Colma
- South San Francisco
- Brisbane
- San Bruno
- Millbrae
- Burlingame
- Hillsborough
- San Carlos
- San Mateo
How long has your company been in business?
Supple Senior Care has been in business since 2009 providing in-home care to mainly seniors, but also people of all ages, physical conditions and cognitive abilities. Caitriona Supple, our founder, has over 25 years experience in caregiving.
Supple Senior Care’s business values are built from Caitriona’s vision of building a team of caring, dedicated professionals who are genuinely concerned about our clients’ wellbeing and thrive on making a positive difference in their daily lives.
What is home care?
Home care is non-medical services provided in your home to maintain as much independence as possible. Supple Senior Care caregivers assist clients of all ages who are recovering from illness or need assisted care in the home.
Our home care services are flexible and we can refer doctors, hospice, physical therapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists, and other specialists who are willing to conduct home visits.
What is the difference between in-home care and home health?
In-home care is non-medical. Home health care is medical care provided in your home or rehabilitation center for the treatment of an illness or injury.
Who can benefit from in-home care?
In-home care is the perfect solution for those who feel they need assistance with the activities of daily living. For example, Supple Senior Care caregivers will assist you with personal care and wellbeing, preparing meals, grocery shopping and light house cleaning. Your family members will also benefit from in-home care, as it will give them peace of mind knowing you have the assistance and company of a caregiver whilst you are in the home and they cannot be with you.
How will you find the right caregiver for me?
Firstly, we will come out and visit you in your home for a free consultation to determine your individual needs. This will enable us to prepare a custom care plan. Based on this care plan and your preferences, we will determine which of our caregivers would be best suited to meet your needs. The caregiver is taken through the care plan in detail. During the initial shifts, we will ensure that all your needs are met and that you have been matched with the right caregiver. We are also contactable 7 days a week should any concerns arise. You can rest assured that we will work closely together to ensure everything will run smoothly. Our Caregivers are Registered Home Care Aides with the State of California as required by law, which includes finger printing and criminal background checks via the Department of Justice / FBI. They have been subjected to a thorough screening process and have completed the education required for employment.
What sets you apart from other Caregiving Agencies?
We are an Irish-owned private small business. We specialize in in-home care, we truly believe elderly people live much happier and longer when they’re in the comfort of their own home. We offer a free initial consultation, we listen to our client’s individual needs and we feel it’s very important to get the right fit between the caregiver and the client. We are reachable outside of office hours 24/7. Our founder, Caitriona Supple has over 25 years experience in the caregiving industry. She believes in treating her Caregivers well, and in turn, they enjoy their work and look after our clients with the same dignity and respect. Our Caregivers are known for going above and beyond our clients’ expectations.
How much does home care cost?
The cost of in-home caregiving services depends on the type of assistance that is required. Our in-home care services can be provided on an hourly 6 – 24 hours per day. Our fees start at $40.00 per hour. Some long-term health insurance policies cover home care services. We will assist with providing the insurance companies with all the paperwork they need. If this is not within your budget, our sister company “Irish Referral Agency” may better suit your needs.
What types of insurance cover your services?
Many long term health insurance policies include home care, however, certain requirements will apply. Veteran’s may be eligible for benefits, please refer to their website for more information: www.va.gov
What’s the difference between a Home Care Agency and a Referral Agency or Registry?
Home Care Organizations (HCO’s) are licensed with the State of California and are regulated. HCO’s employ and manage their staff. Our Caregivers are Registered Home Care Aides (HCA’s) with the State of California as required by law. They have been subjected to a thorough screening process and have completed the education required for employment. HCO’s manage all payroll taxes, workers compensation insurance and legal protection. Supple Senior Care manages the weekly caregiver schedule and provides backup care when it’s needed. We are contactable 7 days a week, outside of office hours.
A Referral Agency is a recruitment service for home caregivers. They will interview potential caregivers and do the required background checks. Once a suitable caregiver is identified, the caregiver becomes an employee of the client. The client is responsible for complying with state and federal laws, insurance, payroll taxes and employee performance. The referral agency will charge the client a finders fee. If you feel this option suits you better, click here www.irishreferralagency.com
Are your Caregivers bonded and insured?
Yes, our caregivers are fully bonded and insured. Supple Senior Care holds professional liability insurance per occurrence of $1,000,000 and aggregate of $3,000,000, as well as an employee dishonesty bond.
Can you explain more about your hiring process of caregivers and the screening process?
Our hiring and screening process of all Caregivers includes a California LiveScan fingerprinting check via both the DOJ (Department of Justice) and the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). It also includes a Criminal Record Clearance, DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) check for those caregivers who will be driving a client. All of our Caregivers are registered Home Care Aides within the state of California, as required by law. Previous employers are contacted to verify past employment and to ensure positive and professional performance.
Do you provide continuing training for your Caregivers?
Yes, upon commencement with Supple Senior Care, all our Caregivers undertake comprehensive training with Caregiving Training University. This includes a 10 hour course covering: Job responsibilities protocol, Senior job description, communication skills, CARE plan and notes, personal care and toileting, adapting equipment for transfers, hygiene and infection control, healthy clean and safe environment, personal and environmental safty precautions, emergency procedures, client confidentiality and HIPAA, understanding abuse and neglect, stages of Alzheimer’s, Dementia and aggressive behavior. Our Caregivers also participate in annual refresher training which includes: Renewal training in core competency with speciality training on aged-related illnesses. Revisit basic skills and expands on age-related care. Alzheimers and memory loss training. Renewal All @ Strokes, identifying types and caring for survivors.
How do you supervise your Caregivers?
We do this a few different ways. We operate a real-time system for schedules and timekeeping which tracks when caregivers clock-in and clock-out for every shift. Alerts are issued if a Caregiver clocks in late or misses a clock in/out time. This keeps our Caregivers accountable. We also perform regular visits to our clients during shifts, to ensure our clients are happy and receiving the highest level of care. We are contactable outside of office hours 24/7 should an issue arise. We believe in having a close working relationship with our Caregivers, we treat our staff well, and in turn, they enjoy their work and look after our clients with the same dignity and respect. Our Caregivers are known for going above and beyond our clients’ expectations.
Are you contactable outside business hours?
Yes, our clients are provided with a cell phone contact number, which is reachable outside business hours, 24/7.
Can I request information about your services and fees prior to the free initial consultation?
Yes, you certainly can. We can provide you with a brochure detailing our services and the different levels of care available to you. We can also send you a copy of our “Overview of Services” document which includes the rates for the different levels of care, together with our “Service Agreement”. Our website also includes everything you need to know about us and our services.
Do you provide back-up Caregivers in the event of illness or vacation?
Yes, we provide replacement Caregivers when a scheduled Caregiver is unable to work their scheduled shift. We aim to have backup Caregivers previously trained with all our clients, so that our clients are already familiar with their backup Caregiver.
Will I get the same Caregiver every time?
Yes. We believe it’s very important for our clients to have consistency with their caregivers. If the regular Caregiver is absent, we will arrange a replacement.
Do you provide live-in care?
We have some clients who need round-the-clock care. Our team is well trained and willing to work with clients who need care on a 24-hour basis.