About Caregiver Agency
About Caregiver Agency
One Step Home Care Story
A Perfect Fit
In One Step Home Care, Beatrice Bruce explores the intricate journey of providing care for those who need it most. With a focus on the emotional, mental, and physical aspects of caregiving, Bruce sheds light on the true meaning of compassion and dedication.
Through personal stories, expert advice, and practical tips, One Step Home Care is a heartfelt guide to understanding the challenges and joys of home caregiving. Beatrice Bruce offers a roadmap for families and professional caregivers alike, helping them navigate the complexities of maintaining a loved one’s quality of life at home.
An Offer at the Right Time
When a business-saavy doctor offered to purchase Cameo Caregivers in 2004, She considered the possibilities:
1) They wanted to travel.
2) They wanted to spend time with their grandchildren.
3) They needed a rest.
4) They knew a good offer when they saw one.
They accepted the offer and retired to the Hill Country. Life was perfectly sweet (for a time).
An Expired Non-Compete Agreement
As the five-year mark of the sale of Cameo Caregivers passed, Nora and Mike again began to consider the possibilities:
1) They had traveled.
2) They had spent time with their grandchildren (whom they sometimes found to be too much of a good thing).
3) They were rested, but bored.
4) They missed the business.
The Adens decided it was time for another plunge into Houston’s in-home care industry.
An One Step Home Care
In 2011, One Step Home Care was born. Beatrice Bruce had started her own agency, from scratch. Their idea was to keep the agency small with only a few caregivers and clients. The day after receiving One Step Home Care’ license to operate from the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services, She attended a local caregiver conference. It was there that ties were reestablished and the word got out, “she back!” Later that afternoon, the first client call came in. One Step Home Care was off and running. Since then, the agency has achieved steady, significant growth. Despite the rise and fall in oil prices, despite the economy, through bull and bear markets, One Step Home Care became a shining star in Houston’s bright business sky. Once again, the Adens were at the head of one of the Bayou City’s largest private duty, in-home care agencies.
A Quality Friendship
When She decided to take a step back from the full-time operation of One Step Home Care in 2015, they brought in friends Under their leadership, One Step Home Care remains the solid, caring, skilled and professional in-home care choice for Houston’s seniors.
Awards and Accolades
Honoring the Legacy
At One Step Home Care, In the years following 2016, Beatrice have ensured that One Step Home Care continues to offer only the best kind of in-home care to Houston’s families. That statement can be backed up with telephone survey after telephone survey. Who is completing the surveys? Home Care Pulse is a benchmark marketing company, well known in the senior in-home care industry.
One Step Home Care
Each professional in-home caregiver agency is licensed by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, under Chapter 142 of the Texas Health and Safety Code, to operate as a home and community support service agency in Texas. (beware, there are many unprofessional, unlicensed agencies operating on the fringes of state regulation).
One Step Home Care is so licensed by the state – as a PAS – a non-medical, Personal Assistance Service. Not only are we licensed, but One Step Home Care is bonded and insured, as well (beware, such is not always the case with many caregiver companies).
What distinguishes One Step Home Care from the very large field of “a caregiver company near me” in your Internet search?
Saying “boss” is more than just a snarkie comment. We mean “boss” in the most legal-of-terms. It is important to know that a caregiver does not meet the state or federal standard for “independent contractor” like a typical plumber or exterminating service would, for example. You are the private caregiver’s boss. By hiring this private caregiver, you are legally committing to be “the employer” and:
- In March of 2024, we celebrated 13 years of service.
- We have crossed the 2,000,000 hours of service mark.
- The state of Texas says that we are a non-medical service and do not have to have a nurse on staff, but we do. Beatrice Bruce answers family, caregiver, client questions every day and sets the standard for training for our caregivers which is very, very high.
- Many of our competitors say, “You can reach us round the clock.” But too often when a client calls them, the call is answered by a service, or worse yet, by a voice-mail message. That is never the case with Encore Caregivers. During office hours, our professional front desk staff answers our main number, 832-860-4197. After hours, weekends, holidays a trained care coordinator will answer our main number. If a client calls at 2 a.m. – a trained care coordinator will answer – who knows the case, the client, the caregiver and can offer professional solutions very quickly. That has proven to be an invaluable service for our clients.
- In December of 2022, Senior Resource Guide, the leading publication for seniors in Texas, announced that One Step Home Care had been voted, “Best Caregiving Service in Texas” by its readers.
- In a national webinar in January 2023, One Step Home Care was awarded four national awards by our industry’s leading marketing benchmark company, Home Care Pulse. The awards were given as the result of the answers to telephone surveys of clients and caregivers throughout the year (10% of our clients and 10% of our caregivers are surveyed each month. We use the results as the basis of our continual improvement program.) Home Care Pulse awarded us their national Employer of Choice award (we think we are one of the best caregiver companies to work for). Also, One Step Home Care won their national Provider of Choice award (we think we are one of the best caregiving companies ever). Home Care Pulse has another national award, called the In-Home Care Leader in Experience award. It has even more strict criteria. One Step Home Care won that, as well. And, for the first time ever, One Step Home Care was designated one of the Top 100 Caregiving Agencies in the United States. That is pretty impressive when you take into consideration that Home Care Pulse surveys nearly 7,500 of the nation’s largest in-home care agencies. Boy, are we on a roll!
Is One Step Home Care the least expensive option? We are sure not. Would we hire One Step Home Care to take care of our loved-ones? We are very sure that we would. Excellent care, protection of assets, peace-of-mind – we wow our clients each and every day. We will wow you, too.
Part of our formula for success is that One Step Home Care hires only professional, experienced, skilled caregivers (beware, such is not always the case with every caregiving company). Our caregivers might be CNAs (Certified Nurse Assistants), HHAs (Home Health Aides), PCAs (Patient Care Assistants) – they have a wide variety of titles, but they are all skilled professionals.
We make sure that our caregivers are the best of the best. They have a minimum of one year of hands-on, direct client care experience in the last two years, with an institution or home health service – under the supervision of a nurse.
Applying caregivers present their documentation:
- Current negative results from a TB test (skin test or x-ray)
- Proof of car ownership with Texas auto insurance
- COVID vaccination record
- Any certifications
- Resume
- Work History
All records presented are verified. They are then background checked on the local, state, and national level. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Caregiver Misconduct Registry is checked for any infraction.
If they meet the above standards, they are given a written competency exam. If they pass the exam, they proceed to an interview with our nurse to further assess their skill level. They also interview with our administrator and lead care coordinator to assess work history, presentation, compassion level, personality, areas of experience, etc.
If they pass all the above hurdles, they are invited to a 4+ hour orientation in which our office staff trains them in our policies and procedures and our dos and don’ts. All administrative paperwork and badging is completed.
They are introduced to our extensive training program, including Skills Labs (hands-on training with our RN), In-Service Trainings (with speaker and hands-on training with our RN), and nurse-directed online courses.
They are then enrolled in our 8-week mentoring program overseen by our field lead and assigned 4, 1-hour online classes to complete in that prescribed time frame. Our field lead stays in close contact with them to ensure client and caregiver satisfaction.
It’s a winning formula.
When they come on board as our caregiving staff, we assign them to go into clients’ residences (homes, hotels, hospitals, assisted and independent living facilities, skilled nursing facilities, etc.) and offer elderly care. These professional caregivers offer service to clients in three distinct categories:
Companionship: Reading, reminiscing, going on walks, just going – period – as appropriate to the client’s condition. Pre-COVID, we’d hear, “Let’s go to the Hill Country and look at the flowers.” We did that. We went to wedding rehearsals and family reunions and theaters, restaurants, and museums. COVID has kicked us in the knee a bit. Now, our caregivers mostly transport clients to doctors’ appointments, pharmacies, grocery stores, etc., but the field is expanding. We can drive the client in their car or in our car. In addition, our caregivers are helping clients with hobbies that they can’t do alone anymore or they don’t want to do alone anymore. This provides the crucial social interaction sorely lacking in so many seniors’ lives – the social interaction often key to slowing cognitive decline.
Light Housekeeping: The State of Texas allows caregivers to do 20% of their work as light housekeeping. Basically, we keep clean, sanitary, and organized the areas where the client predominantly lives: bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room. Can we change bed linens? Do laundry? Clean the bathroom? Vacuum? Dust? Make light meals and snacks? Yes, we are doing that throughout the Houston Metro Area every day. Examples of what we won’t do: pick up grandchildren’s toys, clean a guest room, rake leaves, clean windows, pressure wash the garage. We focus on client care.
Assistance with ADLs (Activities of Daily Living): This is a massive category, one that includes functions that too many of us take for granted – walking, eating, drinking, showering, bathing, grooming, dressing, toileting, and more.
The benefits of having professional care available in the comfort of a senior’s own home offered by one of the best caregiving services in Houston cannot be understated.
If you’re looking for elderly caregiver services in the Houston area, look no further – One Step Home Care could be the perfect agency for your needs.
With professional and experienced staff as well as years of experience, One Step Home Care represents a great choice. Boost the overall quality of life for loved ones as they are provided with personalized care unique to their needs – by one of the best in the business – One Step Home Care.
Why Choose One Step Home Care
We get an A+ for customer service
We saw an Inc. (magazine) article that was singing our song. The author described a situation in which a family purchased a $350 Star Wars Lego set, built 2/3 of it, and then discovered that one bag of small parts was missing. The dad went straight to Lego customer service online.
The company’s response was epic:
“Dear John, Thanks for getting in touch with us and providing that information! I am so sorry that you are missing bag 14 from your Mos Eisley Cantina! This must be the work of Lord Vader.
Fear not, for I have hired Han to get that bag right out to you. Have a bricktastic day and may the force be with you.”
You’ve got to love that sensitivity, creativity, and smarts. The customer e-mailed with a $350 problem. It was solved in a few keystrokes and left the client with a smile. That is a trusted formula for business success – customer loyalty, great reviews. It is customer care and business-building at its best.
It’s not always easy, but it is something that we strive for every day with our clients here at One Step Home Care.
They call with challenges. Their loved one can’t be left alone, or needs special care, ensured safety, a skilled, compassionate, watchful eye. So often, they call with shaky voices, concern, sometimes tearful. We focus on hearing them, understanding the ins and outs of their unique story, and bringing them peace of mind.
Yes, from time to time there are rough spots. That’s life. We accept that, knowing that the way we guide each of those circumstances to a solution defines us. And, we think we get an A+ for nailing it.
The Inc. article ends this way:
“By the way, delight is maybe the most powerful thing you can do to generate loyalty among your customers. It doesn’t take much, but even little things like knowing your audience and responding accordingly can go a long way. Making someone smile is easily the best way to remind them why they became a loyal customer in the first place. When you look for ways to delight them, even when something didn’t go right, you can’t go wrong.”
When was the last time you met professionals who delighted you? Breaking news: We’ve got an office full of them! And, that makes us all smile!
Our Process
Client-Focused Senior Care In TX. Our senior home care providers care about each and every client and providing the best care possible for them.
Quality Senior Home Care Begins With You…
STEP 1
Whether planned or resulting from an upset, you recognize the need for help. You are seeking solutions. Your call should be to One Step Home Care at 832-860-4197 or e-mail us at: bbbruce30@yahoo.com
STEP 2
We will work with you to set up a time for a no-obligation, no-charge, in-depth assessment of the client’s needs.
STEP 3
Our in-house nurse will assess the client, visit with you to answer any questions and prepare a plan of care that is tailored to the needs of the client.
STEP 4
Reviewing the results of our client assessment, our professional staff carefully assigns a caregiver the client can trust and to whom the client will relate.
STEP 5
Care begins and you now have peace of mind that your loved one is safe and secure at home in the hands of a trained, compassionate caregiver.
STEP 6
One Step Home Care welcomes family and client feedback. Caregivers are required to provide our supervisory staff with feedback as well. Additionally, periodic visits are conducted by supervisory staff to ensure that One Step Home Care is achieving the client’s complete satisfaction.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Clients, families, executors and advocates seek answers to many questions when considering homecare, and rightfully so. One Step Home Care understands, welcomes your questions and provides logical, fact-based answers to facilitate decision-making.
Listed are the most frequently asked questions with straightforward answers.
If you have any questions that were not listed below or that need further clarification contact us at 832-860-4197 or email us at: bbbruce30@yahoo.com
for further information.
Listed are the most frequently asked questions with straightforward answers.
The State of Texas Department of Health and Human Services has the authority and obligation to ensure that any person or entity engaging in the business of providing home health, hospice, or personal assistance services is licensed. One Step Home Care meets or exceeds all required standards and regulations as a Home and Community Support Services Agency (HCSSA).
Unlicensed providers often refer to themselves as staffing, sitter, or companion agencies. Licensure is required if an entity provides a person to render any type of “hands-on” care (e.g., touching the client, transferring, bathing, assisting with medications, etc.)
Businesses that only provide workers to prepare meals, perform housekeeping, or other household tasks not involving personal care may operate without a HCSSA license.
Bottom line: Licensed Agencies are surveyed frequently by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services for compliance with regulations and standards. Higher standards and more supervision equal better care.
So many seniors make the choice to stay in their homes over relocating to a seniors-only community, or an independent or assisted living facility. Their home is familiar, in it they are surrounded by memories. It can be reassuring and a real comfort. Children often feel more comfortable visiting their parents in their home as opposed to a facility of some kind. Privacy is another big issue. In a facility, it can be at a minimum. At home, friends and family come and go as the senior desires. Also, pets have so much more freedom at home than in a facility. All of these arguments are quality of life issues and seniors recognize this and are acting on this choosing to stay at home in record numbers.
In-home care offers support in three major categories: companionship, light housekeeping and personal care. Companionship can be defined as everything from conversation and social interaction to support for the client who formerly participated in an activity, but no longer feels confident in participating alone. Do caregivers pot flowers? Yes. Count butterflies in backyards? Oh, yes. Go to museums, movies, wedding rehearsals, doctor appointments, pharmacies, grocery stores? All, yes. The caregiver can drive the client’s car or drive the caregiver’s car. Driving the caregiver’s car incurs a small mileage fee (at One Step Home Care that fee is $.55 per mile).
The state of Texas allows caregivers to spend as much as 20 percent of their time doing light housekeeping. Basically they keep clean, sanitary and organized the areas where the senior predominantly lives: bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room. Caregivers change sheets, do laundry, vacuum, prepare light meals and snacks, etc.
The last area is personal care. Not every client needs personal care, but when they do a skilled caregiver should be trained and ready to offer help with what the state of Texas calls ADLs, activities of daily living. A skilled caregiver can help a client with eating, walking, showering, dressing, grooming, toileting and so many other tasks.
Yes, if you are referring to initial out-of-pocket expenses. However, both the tangible and intangible benefits of engaging a licensed agency justify any additional costs. If you hire caregivers yourself, you are the employer and as such you are responsible for not only their wages but also for some things that you perhaps haven’t thought about:
- Paying all federal and state payroll taxes (Medicare, FICA, and unemployment taxes – at least 10% of wages)
- Worker’s compensation insurance (10% of wages)
- Depositing payroll deductions
- Filing quarterly and annual state and federal payroll tax reports
- Complying with federal immigration hiring laws as well as a host of other employment laws
- Recruiting, hiring and firing employees
- Scheduling employees and then rescheduling employees when the first are late, sick or need time off
We have encountered cases where families or executors hired their own caregivers and chose to consider the employee an “independent contractor” – thereby ignoring payroll taxes or work-related accident insurance. Typically, this becomes a serious issue when the employee is terminated and subsequently files an unemployment claim.
This sets in motion a state and federal payroll tax audit resulting in a claim against the employer (the family in this case) wherein the family is required to pay both accrued employee and employer payroll taxes from the date of hire, plus accrued employee and employer payroll taxes for all other employees, plus penalties and interest.
The same problem results if the family chooses to ignore worker’s compensation insurance or accident related insurance. Homeowners’ insurance policies specifically exclude work-related accidents. Thousands of dollars in expenses can result from an employee being injured on the job (e.g., a back injury resulting from transferring the client) and then filing a claim with the state, suing the family (employer) and successfully collecting medical expenses, including an allowance for pain and suffering, legal fees and the legal expenses to defend the litigation action.
Encore Caregivers, a Licensed Agency, is the employer of our caregivers and is responsible for all expenses and costs associated with state and federal employment laws, work related injuries, and all other employer obligations. No worries.
One Step Home Care offers support in three major categories: companionship, light housekeeping, and personal care. Companionship offers everything from conversation and social interaction to support for the client who formerly participated in an activity but no longer feels confident in participating alone. Do caregivers pot flowers? Yes. Count butterflies in backyards? Oh, yes. Go to museums, movies, wedding rehearsals, doctor appointments, pharmacies, grocery stores? All, yes. The caregiver can drive the client’s car or drive the caregiver’s car. Driving the caregiver’s car incurs a small mileage fee (Here at One Step Home Care, that fee is $.55 per mile).
The state of Texas allows caregivers to spend as much as 20 percent of their time doing light housekeeping. Basically, they keep clean, sanitary, and organized the areas where the senior predominantly lives: bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room. Caregivers change sheets, do laundry, vacuum, prepare light meals and snacks, etc.
The last area is personal care. Not every client needs personal care, but when they do, a skilled caregiver should be trained and ready to offer help with what the state of Texas calls ADLs: activities of daily living. A skilled caregiver can help a client with eating, walking, showering, dressing, grooming, toileting, and many other tasks.
One Step Home Care offers support in three major categories: companionship, light housekeeping, and personal care. Companionship offers everything from conversation and social interaction to support for the client who formerly participated in an activity but no longer feels confident in participating alone. Do caregivers pot flowers? Yes. Count butterflies in backyards? Oh, yes. Go to museums, movies, wedding rehearsals, doctor appointments, pharmacies, grocery stores? All, yes. The caregiver can drive the client’s car or drive the caregiver’s car. Driving the caregiver’s car incurs a small mileage fee (Here at One Step Home Care, that fee is $.55 per mile).
The state of Texas allows caregivers to spend as much as 20 percent of their time doing light housekeeping. Basically, they keep clean, sanitary, and organized the areas where the senior predominantly lives: bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room. Caregivers change sheets, do laundry, vacuum, prepare light meals and snacks, etc.
The last area is personal care. Not every client needs personal care, but when they do, a skilled caregiver should be trained and ready to offer help with what the state of Texas calls ADLs: activities of daily living. A skilled caregiver can help a client with eating, walking, showering, dressing, grooming, toileting, and many other tasks.
The term “home health care” is often used synonymously with the term “in-home care”, but the two services are very different. Home health care offers licensed medical personnel to a patient in a home setting for diabetic care, oxygen therapy, ostomy care, emergency management, etc. In-home care is non-medical and offers caregivers to help with companionship, light housekeeping and personal care. The expertise of home health care agencies varies greatly and their reputations run from excellent to “you’ve got to be kidding me!” Referrals are the best source of reliable information. Your doctor or doctor’s nurse should be able to supply a list of professional services. A family member or friend who has used a home health care agency in the past is an excellent source — the Internet, not so much. If you have an in-home care agency working for you, but need home health care, the in-home care agency’s management should be in a position to know quality home health agencies in the area and refer a few.
The state of Texas allows caregivers to spend as much as 20 percent of their time doing light housekeeping. Basically, they keep clean, sanitary, and organized the areas where the senior predominantly lives: bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room. Caregivers change sheets, do laundry, vacuum, prepare light meals and snacks, etc.
The last area is personal care. Not every client needs personal care, but when they do, a skilled caregiver should be trained and ready to offer help with what the state of Texas calls ADLs: activities of daily living. A skilled caregiver can help a client with eating, walking, showering, dressing, grooming, toileting, and many other tasks.
A credible home care agency is licensed by the state and has to adhere to strict standards for client care, caregiver hiring procedures, caregiver training, and record-keeping. Quality control vis à vis caregivers in an agency can be much more reliable because of the hands-on methods for recruiting, interviewing, performing background checks, and verifying skill levels. In addition, other safeguards may be in place with a credible agency, like bonds and insurance.
A caregiver registry is just that – a list of people or agencies willing to provide a service. Close attention should be paid to safety and security by anyone tempted to use a registry. Standards vary greatly in the world of registries — sounds convenient, looks convenient, per hour charge may be appealing – but at what potential long-term cost? Also, home care registries that host a selection of agencies on their site do so for a fee. It is simply another marketing channel for the agencies – a way to create a potential marketing “hook” that may snag unsuspecting families.
Questions that you should answer before hiring an in-home care agency: Has the agency been in business for an extended period of time? Are they licensed, bonded, and insured? Are they a franchise? Are they small? Are they large? Are their services respected in the industry? Are they award-winning? Contact a few. Do they quickly answer your questions at warp speed without taking a breath? Do they take time with you and establish a modicum of comfort and rapport? Are they service-oriented or do they seem to be uber-profit driven? Ask about an assessment. Is it offered at no charge? Who completes the assessment? A marketing staff member? A nurse? Do they even have a nurse on staff? Do they have the depth and breadth of the caregiver pool to ensure that they will be able to find a close fit for your loved one? Can they offer a caregiver at the time required? If a caregiver cancels, do they have a back-up?
It’s very simple. Services can be canceled prior to the beginning of a caregiver’s scheduled shift, without penalty or charges. Our phones are answered around the clock by an Encore Caregivers’ professional staff member. We are very flexible in our scheduling so most requests can be honored. We understand that events and circumstances may result in disrupted schedules or in a situation in which fewer or additional hours are required. We will comply with your requests to the best of our abilities. We ask only that you provide as much advance notice as possible to minimize the impact on our caregivers.
Note: As a licensed Home and Community Support Service Agency, our clients will sign the “Individual Service Plan and Consent Form” which details the type, frequency, rates and other delivery practices for services requested. No surprises.
Of course. You may notify our office that you wish for your caregiver to drive you in your car to your appointments. This is documented by signing the appropriate permission form. If you do not own a car, then your caregiver can drive you in his or her own personal vehicle. You will be billed for the mileage incurred to and from your residence at the rate of $.55 per mile. All of the mileage charges billed to the client are paid to the caregiver.
The cost of home care can vary depending on the level of care needed, and the length of shift requested. At Encore Caregivers, we are proud to offer the most competitively priced services among all the highly reputable home care agencies in the area. As a family-owned, Houston-based business, we’re committed to providing exceptional care at a fair price, while maintaining the highest standards of service and compassion. Encore Caregivers also accepts Long Term Care Insurance, we are experts in assisting with supporting LTCi claims and make this as smooth and easy as possible for the families we serve.
Under a Personal Assistance Service (PAS) license with the state of Texas, a personal care assistant can remind a client to take medications and can assist a client in taking medications, but cannot administer medications. A personal care assistant can never touch or dose the medication – including putting prescribed medication in a pill dispenser. That should be left to the client, the family, or failing that, to a nurse.
We are experts at Encore Caregivers, but we fully recognize that we are experts only in our area of focus – in-home care. We wouldn’t presume to offer you tax advice. We know that the best advice that we can give to someone seeking answers to tax questions is to go straight to the horse’s mouth for information. Please avoid all the paid advertisers belched out as a result of an Internet search, and go directly to https://www.irs.gov
A caregiver can work as many hours as desired. The first 40 hours are paid straight time and any hours greater than 40 (with the same client) must be paid at time and one half.
On-line research must be the first step in hiring in-home care. Several quality print references are available as well: Senior Resource Guide and New Lifestyles being the industry leaders. Perusing a copy could be very insightful and what do you have to lose? The publications are free to the public and available throughout the Metro area. A quick check on-line will tell you where. Questions that you should answer before hiring an in-home care agency: Has the agency been in business for an extended period of time? Are they licensed, bonded and insured? Are they a franchise? Are they small? Are they large? Are their services respected in the industry? Are they award winning? Contact a few. Do they quickly answer your questions at warp speed without taking a breath? Do they take time with you and establish a modicum of comfort and rapport? Are they service oriented or do they seem to be uber-profit driven? Ask about an assessment. Is it offered at no charge? Who completes the assessment? A marketing staff member? A nurse? Do they even have a nurse on staff? Do they have the depth and breadth of caregiver pool to ensure that they will be able to find a close fit for your loved one? Can they offer a caregiver at the time required? If a caregiver cancels, do they have a back-up? Express your desires for a good caregiver meeting your preferences – because the right fit is critical. The small details can be so very important. Lastly, give the agency a chance. If the first caregiver doesn’t work out, do they make it right? Work with them to polish the experience for both client and caregiver. The time you spend in finding a good fit will be well worth the effort.
The cost of home care, day or night can vary depending on the level of care needed, and the length of shift requested. Since Encore Caregivers is not a franchise, we are proud to offer the most competitively priced services among all the highly reputable home care agencies in the area. As a family-owned, we’re committed to providing exceptional care at a fair price, while maintaining the highest standards of service and compassion. Encore Caregivers also accepts Long Term Care Insurance, we are experts in assisting with supporting LTCi claims and make this as smooth and easy as possible for the families we serve.
Encore Caregivers also offers 24 hour care in two forms, hourly 24/7 or Live In, we would welcome the opportunity to explore these two options with you and your family.
So many seniors make the choice to stay in their homes over relocating to a seniors-only community, or an independent or assisted living facility. Their home is familiar, in it they are surrounded by memories. It can be reassuring and a real comfort. Children often feel more comfortable visiting their parents in their home as opposed to a facility of some kind. Privacy is another big issue. In a facility, it can be at a minimum. At home, friends and family come and go as the senior desires. Also, pets have so much more freedom at home than in a facility. All of these arguments are quality of life issues and seniors recognize this and are acting on this and choosing to stay in their homes in record numbers.
In the case of One Step Home Care, we define respite care as temporary care provided by one of our skilled and trained professional caregivers for a senior in order to give relief for the senior’s regular caregiver. I can think of a family that we help on the west side of the city. The family is husband and wife and the husband’s mother lives with them. They take such good care of her. But, from time to time, Encore Caregivers gets a call saying, “We are going to the hill country this weekend, could we have a caregiver from Friday noon until Sunday evening at 7 p.m.?” Or, they might say, “We are going to the Rodeo on Tuesday night. Could you send a caregiver at 4 p.m. on Tuesday and have her stay until Wednesday morning at 7 a.m.?” Every request, we honor. That’s what we do – providing relief for good sons and daughters and good friends and family members, throughout the Metro area – every day.
An in-home caregiver offers support in three major categories: companionship, light housekeeping and personal care. Companionship can be defined as everything from conversation and social interaction to support for the client who formerly participated in an activity, but no longer feels confident in participating alone. Do caregivers pot flowers? Yes. Count butterflies in backyards? Oh, yes. Go to museums, movies, wedding rehearsals, doctor appointments, pharmacies, grocery stores? All, yes. The caregiver can drive the client’s car or drive the caregiver’s car. Driving the caregiver’s car incurs a small mileage fee (at Encore Caregivers that fee is $.55 per mile).
The state of Texas allows caregivers to spend as much as 20 percent of their time doing light housekeeping. Basically they keep clean, sanitary and organized the areas where the senior predominantly lives: bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room. Caregivers change sheets, do laundry, vacuum, prepare light meals and snacks, etc. The last area of focus for an in-home caregiver is personal care. Not every client needs personal care, but when they do a skilled caregiver should be trained and ready to offer help with what the state of Texas calls ADLs, activities of daily living. A skilled caregiver can help a client with eating, walking, showering, dressing, grooming, toileting and so many other tasks.
The symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease can be different for each person afflicted. However, some commonalities exist. Many times the senior can be stressed, frustrated, angry or scared as a result of the disease. Steps can be taken by a wise caregiver to mitigate the negative impact of these feelings in a senior.
At One Step Home Care, we truly believe that the most valuable skill of a professional caregiver taking care of an Alzheimer’s patient is flexibility. The day that a caregiver planned is often not the day that unfolds. You are behind schedule. So what? Take your time. The activities planned won’t get completed. So what? Try them again tomorrow. The patient calls blue, pink and breakfast, dinner. So what? Agree with them. Enjoy eggs and bacon for “dinner”, at 8 a.m., smiling all the while. A caregiver needs to be light on her feet. Patience and creativity are skills called on daily to reduce frustrations in both the senior and the caregiver. Go with the flow – be flexible.
A skilled caregiver works to include a senior in decisions and activities. A skilled caregiver will use non-traditional ways to accomplish this. “What would you like for breakfast?” morphs to “Would you like eggs or cereal for breakfast?” The latter question allows the senior to have confidence in the answer, without having to rely on recall that they may not have. The senior can just repeat a part of what the caregiver said and both parties are happy and the goal of involvement is achieved. Provide controlled choices.
A skilled caregiver will establish a routine. That comforts the senior and can make the day so much smoother. The client likes to have her bath at night? If at all possible, accommodate her. The client likes to go to the doctor early in the morning. If at all possible, accommodate her. Lessen agitation and confusion. Set-up a comfortable routine.
Everyone, healthy or not, has likes and pet peeves. Personally, I cannot stand blaring electronic noises or tolerate high-volume conversations. It is no different with anyone else. But, when a senior has Alzheimer’s Disease, focus can become a scarce commodity. A skilled caregiver will turn off the television and minimize other distractions and begin to reintroduce them slowly into the environment to gauge the senior’s tolerance. That knowledge becomes very useful throughout the day as the caregiver needs the senior’s focus at meal-time or while dressing, for instance. Reduce distractions.
Don’t be overwhelmed by the tasks at hand. The senior may not be the only one who needs special care. Caregiving is a demanding calling and may require your attention 24/7. You must not ignore yourself. Don’t allow yourself to get burned out – that helps no one and the potential hurt is great. Use available resources to lessen the burden, whether it is professional caregiving from Encore Caregivers or top-notch classes from the Alzheimer’s Association. We are here to help.
No problem. In fact, we provide caregivers for patients in hospitals and other facilities all the time. Your regular caregiver can most likely maintain your typical schedule. In the event additional shifts are requested or a substitute is necessary, One Step Home Care will make the appropriate arrangements. Our goal is to help you get well and back to your familiar home environment.
We are available to answer any other questions you might have. Simply call us at 832-860-4197 or email us at: onstepbruce@yahoo.com
Please stop by for a hot cup of coffee, a cold drink and some of Houston, TX’s best chocolate chip cookies. (No fooling; come try them yourself!)
One Step Home Care, LLC
11111 Katy Frwy Houston 77092
Office Hours: 9 AM to 5 PM – Weekdays
Phone Answered by a Professional Care Coordinator Around the Clock.
