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FAQs

Financial/Billing
Do you pay FICA taxes and unemployment on your caregivers or am I expected to do that?
Yes, StayKare takes care of all taxes and unemployment.
Do you provide workman’s comp for your caregivers?
No, we do not and in the State of Texas we are not required to do so.
Do you charge a different rate for holidays?
On Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas the rate is time and a half. All other holidays are at regular rate.
Do I pay the caregiver directly?
No, you do not. We have a payroll department that takes care of all payroll.
Is the pay-rate different if there is more than one (1) client in the home receiving care?
Yes, if there is more than one person in the home that has signed up for Personal Care Assistance or medicine reminders the pay-rate is different.
How often do you bill?
Invoicing is done at the first of each month and some are invoiced bi-weekly.
Do you mail out invoices or do you e-mail them?
We can do either. The client chooses how they want to be invoiced.
What forms of payment do you accept?
You can pay on-line or by mailing a check.
Is there an extra fee when the caregiver takes client to appointments or to run errands?
If the caregiver takes them in his/her own vehicle there is a fee for mileage to reimburse the caregiver for the use of their vehicle. If the client’s vehicle is used there is no extra fee.
When caregiver does the grocery shopping for client how does he/she pay for it?
If the caregiver will be doing the shopping or getting take out for the client, then we recommend the client to get a Green Light card. They will be able to add money to this card at any time through on-line banking and will receive a text message telling them that the card has been used and how much was spent. It will also tell them where and at what time it was used.
Is client responsible for paying for caregiver’s meal when going out to eat?
Yes, they are.
Insurance/Coverage
Do you take Medicare or Medicaid?
No, we do not.
What insurance plans do you take?
We take (LTC) Long Term Care Policies and if client or spouse is/was a veteran they can apply through the Veteran’s Association for assistance to help cover some of the hours of care each month.
Do you submit claims to Insurance Company or am I expected to do so?
Once the client has contacted the Insurance Company and submitted the initial claim, the Insurance Company will contact our HR Department and get the account set up for us to send in the supporting documentation needed for client’s reimbursement. The client will be invoiced and be responsible for submitting payment to StayKare. The client will be reimbursed by their Insurance Company.
Do you provide medical care?
No, StayKare is a Non-Medical Home Health providing Personal Assistance Services.
Caregivers/Employees
Are your caregivers CPR certified?
No, our policy is that we do not provide CPR but we do call 911 in the case of an emergency.
What process do you use to hire and assess your caregivers?
Caregivers fill out an on-line application. The administrative staff looks over the application to see if qualifications to work for StayKare are met. The qualified are called in for a face-to-face interview. After the interview, determination is made on whether he/she meets all of the qualifications needed to care for the elderly and would he/she be a good fit for StayKare and the people we serve.
What does your pre-employment screening look like?
We call two references and we run the following background checks. A County and National background check including the sex offender list. The Employee Misconduct Registry (EMR), The Nurse Aide Registry (NAR), drug screening upon hire as well as random drug screening or cause for concern.
Do you have additional screenings each year?
Yes, we do. The EMR and NAR are ran yearly.
Do you drug test your caregivers?
Yes, all employees are drug tested upon hire and we do random drug tests throughout the year.
Does caregiver bring his/her own lunch or is client expected to provide it?
Caregivers will bring their own lunch and drinks unless otherwise indicated by the client.
How often do you evaluate your caregivers?
Caregivers are evaluated yearly, unless there is cause for concern at which point, they are evaluated more often.
Who should I contact with questions about my caregiver?
You may call the office and ask for Schedule Coordinator or Administrator.
Are your Caregivers Certified CNA’s?
Yes, some of them are, some are going to CNA school, and others have years of experience working in the caregiver field.
What type of training do you provide your caregivers?
As we collect data each quarter, we discover areas in need of improving and we have in-service to go over these areas. And, as we receive updates from Department of Health, we provide this information during our quarterly in-services.
Are your Caregivers covid-19 tested?
Depending upon where the client resides, whether or not the caregiver has been exposed, or if showing signs of illness will determine if caregiver needs testing.
Will my loved one have the same caregiver every time?
Having the same caregiver every time is based upon the hours of service that client has signed up for. It is not guaranteed the same one every time, but it is our goal to provide caregivers that the client is comfortable with.
What happens if a caregiver doesn’t show up on time or calls in?
Client should let office staff know that caregiver is late or a no-show so that we can get someone out there to fill in.
What if the caregiver is not a good match for my loved one?
If caregiver is not a good match for client, the client has to let the office know so that we can send a different caregiver out.
Hours
Do you have a minimum of hours?
Yes, we do. We have a six hour minimum per visit. We can come seven days a week, every other day, one day a week or weekends only. We can come on an as needed basis.
Can we sign up for an “as needed” basis?
Yes, you can sign up for as needed.
Can the 6 hour minimum be split up to 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening?
No, the six hour minimum cannot be split up.
Are your caregivers allowed to come in early or stay late on days needed?
Yes, there are times when a caregiver is needed to come in early or stay later. The correct protocol is for the client to call the office and speak with the schedule coordinator.
Services Provided
Do you go into communities such as nursing homes, assisted living, or hospitals?
Yes, we do. We work together with the communities to assure that your loved one is getting the best care possible.
Are we allowed to cancel services at any time?
Yes, you can stop the services at any time.
Do we have to sign a contract?
No, you do not sign a contract.
Do you provide care during the holidays?
Yes, we provide round the clock care year round.
Who does the scheduling?
We have a full-time schedule coordinator in the office.
Are your caregivers allowed to take client to Doctor or rehab appointments?
Yes, they are.
Are your caregivers allowed to take client to beauty/barber shop, grocery store or out to eat?
Yes, they are.
Whose vehicle is used to go to appointments?
Preferably, the client’s vehicle is used. If client does not have a vehicle, then the caregiver can take them in his/her vehicle.
Are your Caregivers allowed to give medication?
StayKare is non-medical and therefore are only allowed to give medication reminders. Medicine reminders consists of providing assistance to the client in the client’s self-administration of medication, such as reminding a client to take medication at a prescribed time, opening and closing a medication container, providing a glass of water, documenting, and reordering medication from a pharmacy at the appropriate time.
Are your caregivers allowed to take vital signs such as BP, O2 levels, and glucose testing?
Yes they are, upon request. They will also document readings.
Do your caregivers have experience with oxygen equipment?
Yes, they do.
Do your caregivers document while on duty?
Yes, each caregiver will document the events of their shift.
Do your Caregivers have experience in the use of G-tube/feeding tube?
Yes, some of them do, and others are being trained as needed.
Do you create a personalized care plan for each client?
Yes. The personalized care plan is created after the client fills out paperwork describing their needs and what tasks they would like for caregiver to do.
Do your caregivers work well with a client’s medical home-health or Hospice?
Yes, they do. They work together to meet the needs of the client with the client’s best interest in mind.
About StayKare
How long have you been in business?
Since May of 2013.
Has your business ever been nominated for or won any notable awards?
Yes, it has. StayKare has been nominated through the Better Business Bureau for the Awards of Excellence in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Are you Licensed, Insured, and Bonded?
Yes, we are licensed with the Texas Department of Health, we carry a Commercial General Liability Insurance Policy and we are Bonded.
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