FAQs

Professional Caregivers can support seniors or the disabled at home in a variety of ways, including through companionship, personal and hygienic care, medication reminders, meal preparation, transportation, and light housekeeping. Caregivers provide support on an hourly basis or on an around-the-clock basis. UCHC Caregivers are standing by to assist you with your personal needs.

Whether you need a few hours a week of help to get to appointments, help around the home, or 24/7 care, in-home care assistance should be considered by you and your family. Having in-home care services means being in control of your activities and retaining as much independence as each situation allows. Many of our clients just need a little help to continue living a safe and productive life while some might be recovering from a fall, surgery, respite care, or other condition. Regardless of your situation, our goal is to enable you the best possible outcome while allowing you to be in control of your care and daily decisions. For a FREE assessment, contact Upper-Class Home Care today at 717) 588-8106.

· Bathing, Grooming & Hygiene · Meal Preparation · Medication Reminders & Safety Supervision · Transportation/Errands · Companionship · Chore Services & Light Housekeeping · Family Respite · Live-In or 24-Hours Home Care · New Mom Parenting Help · Travel Care Giver

It’s all about knowing your options while figuring out and learning as much as you can about what’s within the realm of possibility. The type of home care is oftentimes driven by the needs and preferences of your loved one, as well as what is important to you. Is it time? Is it money? Is it peace of mind? Is it quality? Is it safety? These factors will all influence the decision-making process. Having someone who is skilled in providing home care for seniors is your best option. It’s beneficial to have one of the Upper-Class Home Care staff members sit down with you and understand what’s important to you and your loved one. UCHC can easily address your needs and create a balanced plan that will be sustainable for everybody involved.

When people are exploring home care, one of the very first questions that come up is, “how is this going to be paid for?” The assumption is that Medicare will pay for it, but that’s usually not the case. Home care is paid for primarily out of pocket. However, there may be programs available to help in paying for the care needed. These include public benefits, long-term care insurance, workers’ compensation, legal settlements, reverse annuity mortgages, and specific veterans’ programs. Be sure to consult with an Upper-Class Home Care professional to see if you qualify for any of these programs.

It Is Important to grasp the distinction between non-medical and medical care, as doing so helps families to better understand and utilize their health insurance benefits and find financial assistance to care for a loved one. Providing non-medical care generally means assisting elderly or disabled persons in performing their activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). Examples include assistance with eating, bathing, maintaining personal hygiene, dressing, toileting, and basic mobility, preparing meals, transportation assistance, light housecleaning, laundry, and shopping for essentials. Non-medical care may also include companionship and supervision. Assistance with medication is an area that toes the line between medical and non-medical care. Medication reminders for taking pills are considered non-medical, but medication administration, by nebulizer or with hypodermic needles, for example, is considered medical care. Companionship/Homemaking – Caregivers ensure that the house is kept clean, warm, nutritious meals are prepared and safe transportation to errands and appointments are all part of non-medical home care. Personal Care – Often a mentally and physically challenging task for a family caregiver, personal care assistance with bathing, dressing, and toileting can all be handled by a personal caregiver. ETC

The first step is thinking about the specific tasks that the person needs assistance with and then what amount of time is required per task. Next, think about the level of care your loved one needs. Do they require skilled nursing care? Do they require someone to give injections? Or is it just more practical care? Upper-Class Home Care can work with you and give you some guidance and direction. Think about the specific tasks and the level of skill that’s required, then employ UCHC to help you put together a plan.

A live-in caregiver resides in the client’s home for 24-hours every day of the week and provides consistent assistance with daily functions. They are trained to take on tasks like bathing, eating & toileting so that your loved one can have a more comfortable life. This is especially helpful because a live-in caregiver and the senior have a more personal bond. The caregiver knows the daily routine and is a consistent presence in the home. Personal Care – Our caregivers assist with all personal care such as grooming, bathing, eating, dressing, and toileting. Companion Care – As regular tasks become more difficult for your aging loved one, our caregivers can assist with cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, & more.

Seniors that opt for live-in caregivers benefit from the presence of someone with them day and night. This decision is perfect for those who want to remain in their own homes, as they enjoy having a caregiver around all day long. Live-ins get along well because there are no odd schedules or work hours - it's just constant companionship! Lower Rate: Typically, live-in home care is less expensive than hourly home care. Easy Transitioning: When a senior is transitioning from hospital to home, a live-in caregiver makes the experience easier and less stressful by being available in the home 24/7. Communication: The senior’s family enjoys talking to one caregiver when they call for updates about their loved one’s health. Reliability: Live-in caregiver situations involve greater bonding between the care providers and their clients; they have in the past shown less turnover in caregivers than in live-out arrangements.

Yes, Upper-Class Home Care works with all of the long-term care insurance companies to facilitate payment under your policy for your home care. Upper-Class Home Care will provide your long-term care insurance company with weekly copies of invoices and care notes to facilitate payment or reimbursement for your home care costs.

The shortest care shift Upper-Class Home Care can provide is three hours and the minimum number of hours per week is twelve. Other than that, you determine how many shifts per week and the length of the shift. UCHC has found that for the best continuity of care and to provide the same caregiver, we need a consistent schedule. Upper-Class Home Care will be glad to work with you on a schedule that works for your needs and budget.

Upper-Class Home Care provides in-home care assistance anywhere it is needed. Many times, care is needed that is more than provided in the senior community. Our caregivers regularly provide care in independent and assisted living communities. Sometimes one-on-one assistance is even needed in the hospital. Our caregivers are ready to provide care wherever you call home. Setup your in-person appointment to discuss taking your caregiver on vacation with you.

One of the reasons to use a quality home care agency like Upper-Class Home Care is that they are assisting you in managing your care or care for a loved one. When a caregiver has an emergency or is sick and cannot be at his or her assigned shift, Upper-Class Home Care will staff the shift with a replacement caregiver capable of meeting current needs. Every effort is made to provide a good match between client and caregiver, even with a replacement caregiver. Upper-Class Home Care is available 24 hours a day in case of emergencies regarding scheduling or questions with home care.

While Upper-Class Home Care makes every attempt to provide a good “match” between the caregiver and our client, sometimes the chemistry just does not work. Upper-Class Home Care will replace any caregiver where the client does not feel that the match is appropriate. Please call or email us with your concerns.

Yes, Upper-Class Home Care is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. UCHC Care Coordinators are available in case of a caregiver or client emergency, or an immediate need to cancel a shift. Upper-Class Home Care Navigators and other Care Team members are also available 24/7 to assist new clients in establishing or modifying care.

Care managers perform various tasks which are customized to the needs and preferences of our client base. UCHC care managers provide socialization activities by first identifying how we can improve our client’s quality of life. We are also involved in organizing medications and making sure that our clients take them properly and on time. Sometimes families don’t see eye to eye, and this can often lead to family conflict. When families live out of town, having a Care Manager gives you an extra set of eyes and ears to help you gain an objective view regarding what’s going on. They make a real difference in helping families during difficult times and getting the right services into place quickly.

At Upper-Class Home Care, we have the expertise and experience to deal with people who are extremely resistant to care. Let us give you an example. Margret is a woman suffering from Alzheimer’s. Her daughter, who is very concerned, had called a traditional agency. The agency was met by Margret, who was angry and got very agitated. How was Kelly ever going to be able to take care of her mom and live up to the promise she had made to her dad? Kelly called Upper-Class Home Care, and one of our Care Managers was able to work with her. It became so clear that Margret was missing the activities that she once enjoyed doing and we reframed the whole situation by talking to Margret about having a personal driver who could help get her to the activities that she enjoyed going to. That seemed to resonate with Margret. Kelly was delighted because her mom was suddenly willing to accept care.

The word “doula” comes from the Greek word meaning “woman who serves,” though most people associate it with someone who helps during birth to usher in life. In recent years, however, more people have come to recognize the need for as much assistance at the end of life as the start, part of the death doula movement that is gaining momentum in the United States and other countries. Unlike hospice workers, doulas don’t get involved in medical issues. Rather, they support clients emotionally, physically, spiritually, and practically, stepping in whenever needed. That could be a few days before someone dies, sitting vigil with them in their last hours, giving hand massages, making snacks. Or it could be months or even years earlier, after someone receives a terminal diagnosis, keeping them company, listening to their life stories or helping them craft autobiographies, planning funerals. Death Doula encourages open discussion on death and dying and people’s feelings on mortality.

Upper-Class Home Care is taking in-home care assistance in Lancaster County PA and the surrounding areas to the highest level. UCHC is a provider of aging services. You will have the confidence and peace of mind that you are receiving the best and most compassionate home care available.

Just call us at 717) 588-8106 (hyper link) or contact us online (hyper link to contact us page). Upper-Class Home Care will answer all your questions. When you are ready, we will set up a free home care assessment to help you determine the kind of in-home care assistance you are looking for. UCHC are ready when you are. Whether you are planning ahead for rehabilitation assistance or you are preparing for a discharge from the hospital or skilled nursing community or you are at home and need assistance and care – we are ready to help.