- Caregiver Qualities
- Developing a Plan
- Home Care Details
- Home Health Care
- Our Costs
- Our Qualifications
- Payment Expectations
We go to great Length to recruit healthcare workers who are highly skilled and are top talent in the field. Many of our care givers come to our agency on a referral basis. We frequently hire from professional association conferences where we meet individuals who are passionate about their profession and love what they do. We ensure that our employees are honest morally upright individuals who you can trust with your loved ones. We take up all the risk of finding and hiring safe caregivers so you are not exposed to financial losses from worker injury claim, inaccurate worker classification and Tax withholding, workers comp insurance expenses, employee lawsuits and so many other possible liabilities common in this industry.
Yes, we follow the Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines to ensure that our caregivers do not have a disqualifying background check under the requirements of the Health Care Work Background Check Act.
Caregivers are required by the Illinois Department of Public health to take a minimum of 8 hours of training on topics such as communicating with patients, home safety, personal care, managing medications.
Tifeo Home Healthcare has taken a significant step to address one of the biggest concerns families have with home care: the level of training and skills of the in-home caregiver. While more and more families are seeking in-home care to avoid institutionalization of their loved ones, the training and skill of the caregivers coming into the home is a very valid concern.
TifeoHome Healthcare believes that training and skill development in their caregiving team is one of the key reasons families choose a company. We know that many families have options for care. We are very focused on making sure our agency partners are providing a level of training that exceeds any required training in this area.
To achieve this, we partnerships provide 40 hours of caregiver training. Our training program offers highly engaging training courses, covering topics like nutrition and hydration, emergency first aid, ethics, personal care and mobility, Alzheimers and Dementia as well as communicating with others.
Yes. The Illinois Department of Public Health requires all home services agencies to be bonded and insured. The license is issued by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Depends with each caregiver, some have 10 years of experience; others have months of experience. We do not place a caregiver in a home that is not qualified to care for the challenges of the case and we will let you know about their level of experience prior to you interviewing them. Every good health care practitioner had a first patient to treat.
We make scheduled quality assurance calls and visits. To further ensure quality care, we see that all caregivers are regularly and closely supervised by one of our qualified company representatives every two (2) weeks.
Some caregivers can drive. Most of our caregivers that “live in” do not. This is why they are live in caregivers and do not work as a come and go caregiver. Our service agreement outlines our policy on a caregiver driving a patient.
Most of our clients have dementia or Alzheimer’s therefore our caregivers do have experience with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. The key is to find someone who is patient and compassionate, with good basic knowledge and experience working with Alzheimers or Dementia.
Our staff consists of both independent contracted workers and full time employees. All workers are fully insured against general and professional risk
Both compassion and skill
We ask for 6 hours minimum per day for hourly care. Less than 6 hours per day depends on location of client and available caregivers in the area that already have work and might be looking for extra hours with another client.
A caregiver will keep and maintain a clean environment. But they are not a maid or cleaning service. A caregiver will provide light housekeeping, laundry, and ironing.
By law, a caregiver can only provide medication reminders. All medication needs to be in a pre-selected medication reminder container.
Time off is up to the caregiver as to when they need a break from work.This is another important benefit of using an agency because we always have a back up. In the event of an emergency a supervisor or other fill-in help will provide service when the primary caregiver is off. In some cases, family will opt to take care of the client while the primary caregiver is off.
We understand it is difficult to receive good care if different people show up every week. We ARE concerned with continuity of care.
We cannot guarantee the same caregiver to fill in each time your primary caregiver takes off. This is because each caregiver is looking for their own full-time case.
We try our best to accommodate the request by always staffing a caregiver that has been to the house in the past to care for the patient before staffing a new one.
For Live-In Care, a bed or sofa sleeper, access to a bathroom. Ideally a private bedroom. WiFi connection important to caregivers, when making a decision to accept a case.
You can call 224-488-4336, and speak with your Client Service Specialist to make adjustments to your schedule. We do request 24 hour notice of changes to prevent a billing charge. This is waived in event of hospilization.
Yes. We have cases in assisted living facilities. For nursing homes, we can only provide daytime care since the nursing home does not allow the caregiver to stay overnight with the patient.
Equipment that is ordered by a physician may be covered by Medicare, a Medicare supplement or an insurance plan. A doctor’s written order must be presented to the pharmacy, medical equipment provider, or vendor prior to receiving the equipment or supplies.
Equipment or specialty devices are much more likely to be covered than supplies; however, obtaining prior physician written approval may help in obtaining full or partial coverage of a supply.
We can order non-Medicare covered supplies through our provider Medline at a discount.
Most situations are taken care of during normal business working hours. We do have an on-call representative 24 hours a day to handle any concerns that may arise outside of normal business hours.
Our agency will continue to be available, accessible and interested in how things are going. We send out a Case Manager to touch base with our clients every few weeks and more often if there are any issues.
As soon as we can locate a qualified caregiver for your particular case. We have had a caregiver out to a patient’s home the same day as the initial call.
Yes. A good home care agency should be willing to come out and sit and talk with the entire family at no charge. They understand this is the only way a family can compare different agencies and get a good feel for them. If a span of time passes between the initial assessment and when you actually are ready to start, they should come out and redo the Assessment to update any changes.
Yes. Our agency manager has a background as a healthcare provider.
Your Client Service Specialist will come meet with you at your home to develop a care plan. At this time, we go over what services you like, personal preferences, and special needs. The CSS, then comes back to the office and begins to work with the staff, and determines based on personalities, abilities and needs, who might best fit that client. meet your needs.
If you require care beyond that associated with activities of daily living, your doctor ought to be involved to write an order for Home Health under Medicare. We can give input and feedback with the primary doctor and Home Health team in arranging and planning a care plan.
We bring out the selected caregiver and let the client approve of the selection before service begins. It lets the senior and family know they have control over the situation-which they should! It is also good to have the two meet so they can establish rapport with each other before the first day of service.
Each person experiences their own transition period related to in-home care. Some people are readily accepting of receiving care and are immediately trusting of their caregiver. Other people need time to grow accustomed to the idea of accepting or paying for care. Most people need at least 30 days before they grow accustomed to a new way of life. This isn’t true for every person, as the more independent-minded the individual, the less likely they will be readily accepting of care.
If a person has dementia, it is not uncommon for the older adult to have some amount of paranoia and fear with a stranger in their home. It is also not uncommon for an older adult with dementia to believe the caregiver is a known family member, past friend, or even someone who is welcomed in their home. It may be possible that going along with the senior’s perception leads to greater success rather than attempting to clarify the situation.
Oftentimes as it relates to dementia, it is more helpful to enter their world of fantasy than it is to attempt to prove a reality. Most everyone has a period of adjustment to become accepting of care, to trust a caregiver and to let down barriers or privacy and to embrace the concept of receiving help.
Talking openly and honestly about your loved one’s preferences and expectations is important to the development of a healthy and long-term relationship with an in-home caregiver.
Placing tasks in writing is not only a wise practice, but also the only way to ensure that expectations are communicated.
Our service agreement allows the family to do this prior to start of care. Discussing with the caregiver and the agency what expectations are being met, which are being exceeded and which areas require improvement is a necessary part of arranging for such assistance.
Caregivers are capable of completing a certain number of tasks. The more personal companionship an older adult and their family requests or requires, the less time is available for completing tasks. Seek a blend between completing tasks and having time for personal interaction.
If all you need is a housekeeper or yard worker, perhaps you would be better served by arranging for services through this type of agency instead of an in-home care agency.
In-home care offers a blending of chore work with companionship.
If an older adult has memory loss, more time is likely required by a caregiver to complete tasks and to have a meaningful interaction with an older adult. When memory loss is involved, the older adult can’t feel rushed – they have to feel involved, even if it means asking their permission to do certain tasks; or even if it means simply reminiscing a bit before taking a bath or changing clothes.
People with dementia don’t respond well to fast-moving, task-focused people. They respond much better and are much more compliant with receiving help with hygiene and personal care if the caregiver is allotted enough time to be patient and can involve the older adult in the process in some way.
This term is used when an individual’s health status or means for delivering care has been altered in some way. At times, this term denotes a period of illness, a progression in a disease, or an increase in the care or monitoring by a caregiver or care professional.
We work them. There is no extra charge. We also have someone on call for you to speak to 24 hours a day 7 days a week to handle any questions that might arise after regular office hours.
Call your Client Service Specialist! Sometimes, relationships can be salvaged with open communication and education. Sometimes certain personalities just do not match. That is OK. That is why we have many caregivers, we will work very hard at finding those that fit your needs best.
The number of caregivers is determined by how many hours you need services. We comply with the state of Illinois overtime rules. Therefore, our caregivers do not typically work over 40 a week. In some circumstances, clients in the past have been allowed to pay the overtime, thus being able to keep certain caregivers for longer hours. On a shorter case, we still will always train back up staff. We do this to allow for unforeseen absences, sickness, bad weather, etc. Having a core team is essential in ensuring consistency and quality of care. This is why we do train several caregivers on each case.
Yes, some people have long term care insurance and will qualify through a licensed agency. Some policies pay a percentage for a certain number of hours per week and some pay for 24 hours a day/7 days a week. We are happy to call and check benefits for you, although some insurances require a signed release for us to do so.
We staff from 4 hours a day up to 24 hours a day, around the clock care.
Yes, needs change, so of course you can change your hours. We do ask that you give plenty of notice, as our schedules are done a week in advance. We understand, this isn’t always possible, as emergencies arise. Just call your Client Service Specialist, we can increase your hours with very little notice in the event of an emergency. People get better too! Just call your CSS. Again, we ask for time so that we can schedule your caregivers in other cases! It is always a great feeling when you get better and really just don’t need us as much any more!
You bet. Doctors visits can be overwhelming. Our caregivers are more than happy to go in with a patient, with their permission of course, and take notes to report to family. We do just need a release and permission policy signed.
You bet. You are more than welcome to email us. You may also text your CSS as they all have cell phones. We are more than happy to talk with you after hours or weekends as well to accommodate your schedules.
Sure! However, we must take into consideration any hours they may already be scheduled at another case, which could lead to overtime. Or a client that they have been caring for, for an extended period of time. But, we are more than happy to try to accommodate and keep those caregivers you have developed a bond with, with you.
Tifeo Home Healthcare is an independently-owned home services agency. We are not a franchise. Adeniyi Ademoyo a Registered Nurse with 20 years of experience under his belt started Tifeo Home care Agency in 2021. During the Covid pandemic he saw the demand of home healthcare sky rocket because clients would rather be cared for in their home by a small number of caregivers rather than risk exposure to community acquired infection, in an institution setting. Adeniyi saw this increased demand for care as an opportunity to provide services that meets the needs of his community. We currently service all areas in COOK, DUPAGE and LAKE counties but will expand service to cover the entire of illinois in due time.
Yes. We can provide you with completed home health care surveys and people that you can ask “Would you use this company again for yourself or your loved ones?” Simply contact us. Read also our testimonials.
Many complaints can be resolved by talking with the supervisor, management, or owner of the agency. Complaints about service quality or lack of attention to details should be made with the supervisor or management of the agency.
If an older adult or their family or friends has concern regarding services or procedures, they are encouraged to place these concerns in writing or electronically and send them to the attention of the owner or administration of the in-home care agency. If concerns involve issues more serious in nature, it is wise to also place a phone call to the agency to discuss your concern.
People who work with frail adults are at risk of not consistently meeting your expectations.
Yes. If you are not 100 percent satisfied with your caregiver, we want to know and we find a replacement within 24 hours.
The cost looks like this:
The average daily rate for a private room at a nursing home in the Chicago area is $281, or $102,616 per year, according to Genworth.
For a semi-private room in a nursing home in the Chicago area, the daily cost is $244, or $89,063
The average hourly rate in Chicago for home health aides is $31.83/hr. For only 5 hours of care 7 days per week, the monthly average cost is $6,068 or $72,820 annually.
The national average hourly rate for homemakers/companions is $31.56. For only 5 hours of care 7 days per week, the monthly average cost is $6,017 or $72,213 annually.
The national average rate for adult day care is $90/day. Cost would be $1,954 per month or $23,446 annually.
Agencies and caregivers prefer caring for individuals who have predictable and well-communicated needs.
The cost of Tifeo home health services are significantly lower than assisted living or nursing home care. The average in-home care services run about 1/3 the cost of an Assisted Living Facility and less than 1/4 of what a “skilled” facility would cost.The costs are based on projecting the needs of the patient. Fees assessed are also a direct reflection of:
The exact wage paid to our caregiver.
What benefits are given to the care staff, such as workers’ compensation and liability coverage.
The experience of the caregiver as well as the ability to drive to do errands and escorting.
We at Tifeo Home Health Care have an activity fee-based schedule consisting of three different levels of care which is determined by the family, patient, and agency assessment. The more assistance with activities of daily living the caregiver is required to do, the higher the cost of care.
Live-in care is quoted based on daily care; however, the caregiver will likely be contracted to be available only one time per night.
“13 Hour Rule”
As a licensed agency we need to abide by the Department of Labor’s “13-Hour Rule.” That means that 13 hours is allocated as work hours, 8 hours for sleep time, five of which must be uninterrupted, and breaks of 3 hours for meals. (See also court ruling on New York Dept. of Labor “13 Hour Rule”.)
If an older adult is not sleeping through the night, more shifts of caregivers or care providers may be necessary. A patient getting up in the night on a consistent basis will require an “awake” shift caregiver.
If during the night the home service worker does not get reasonable periods of uninterrupted sleep totaling at least 5 hours, the interruption to sleep time must be paid for the hour of sleep that is disturbed. If a client is up multiple times throughout the night or all night providing services, the entire period (5 hours) must be counted as time spent working. (Department of Labor Fair Labor Standards Act 35Q, 36Q)
Best solution to multiple times getting up in the night is to hire an “Awake” shift caregiver that will be up during the night for 8 hours. An example would be 10 pm to 6 am to help as needed so that the primary caregiver can get their allotted 8 hours of sleep and at least 5 hours minimum of uninterrupted sleep.
Our agency invoices the family/patient twice a month. On the 15th of each month and at the end of that month. We expect payment for services to paid prior to our agency sending out invoices for next invoicing period.
Yes. A one-week deposit that is fully refundable or applied to the last invoice at the end of services.
No. Medicare and Medicaid and insurance only cover skilled home care such as Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Nursing, and Speech Therapy.
However, Long-Term Care Insurance does pay for care if you have that kind of coverage.
As older adults tend to experience decreased energy levels and an increase in dependency on supportive services, it is not uncommon for care needs, and therefore costs to increase over time.
Increases are approved by the family, caregiver, and agency. Live-In Day Rates are subject to increase when the demands of the work assignment increase, based on two or more caregivers providing common feedback that have taken care of the patient.
Remember that senior housing and care services do not offer the same one-on-one care provided by in-home care. In-home care provides more personalized and diligent attention to a patient.
We ask no more than a week’s notice to end services. Of course if the client passes away or goes into the hospital, this is waived.
Home Care is also sometimes referred to as Skilled Care. That is the care that is provided by a R.N., L.P.N. or by therapy, Physical, Occupational and Speech. This care is usually more acute care, such as right after a surgery, fall, or illness. This care is what is typically paid for by Medicare and Insurance.
Non Medical Care is more of a long term care. It can still be provided by a nurse, but most often by Home Health Aides and Home Service workers. A nurse may do this care to set up medications weekly for someone that is unable to, or to perform a venipuncture if someone can not get out to a lab or doctors office. These visits are not typically paid for by insurance or Medicare when that is the only service needed.
Non medical Care is also referred to as private duty care. It is care that is usually provided for 4-24 hours a day, when a person needs help with Activities of Daily Living to remain safely in their own home.
- Medicare – If you are a Medicare Beneficiary, and meet home care criteria Medicare pays 100% for Home Health. This could include nursing, therapy and a Home Health Aide.
- Insurance – Many insurances or Medicare Replacements also will pay for Home Health Care. With insurance it is always best to call our office for us to confirm your benefits as soon as possible, as every insurance plan is a little different.
- Veterans Administration – The VA also pays for home health care.
When the Registered Nurse comes to your home for your initial visit, she performs a total body assessment. She then, also meets with you, the patient, your family members, reviews your medical records, confers with therapy if that service is ordered as well, and then speaks with your MD to develop a personalized plan of care to meet your goals. This could be as little as two visits or you could remain on services for an entire certification period, 60 days. There are even occasions, such as for wound care, that you may need more than 60 days of care, and after conferring with your MD, you may need recertified for another certification period. How often a nurse comes is based on your needs. The nurse will usually come more often at first, and then as you get better, visits will be less frequent. The nurses and therapists do a lot of teaching to you and your family, and as you or your family are able to safely provide care, the nurse will make less frequent visits.
Our nurses are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you have a question, or a concern, we are just a phone call away. By dialing 309-245-0723, at any time, you will be able to speak to a nurse for any questions. The on call nurse will also make after hours or weekend visits if necessary to assist with any problems that might occur after hours.
Why wait for Monday? Most re-hospitalizations reoccur in the first 72 hours after discharge. We are more than happy to schedule admission visits the same day as you are discharged. Some people just want to get home and sleep in their own beds, and that is ok too, we are happy to come and see you the very next morning! We are happy to see you over the weekend.
Contact us!
We at Tifeo Home Healthcare Services, will be glad to assess your situation.
We’ll let you know if our services will best help you or your senior.
Give us a call at (224) 488-4336. Or contact us by email.