In this next feature in my Alternatives to Nursing Home Care series, I have the privilege of highlighting Bayada Home Health Care thanks to the interview I conducted with Amber Mitchell, the Client Services Manager of the Shelby faction of Bayada.
Bayada, as some of you might know, sends people in-home to take care of individuals such as seniors as opposed to sending them to an assisted living or a nursing home. Last week, I was lucky enough to interview Suzi Kennedy – the internationally renowned expert on adult day care and Life Enrichment Centers – to talk about one alternative to nursing home care. Amber was able to graciously provide another alternative, and I am proud to showcase our conversation below.
1. What is in-home care?
In-home care can be medical or non-medical services that Bayada can provide to the clients to ensure that while they remain home, they are safe. Bayada is equipped to provide pretty much anything that a hospital or a facility can in the home. It is our mission to keep people in the home, because we know that is where they truly want to be, in the comfort of their own home. Our vision is to help people live safely and comfortably at home with independence and dignity.
2. What are some of the services that Bayada provides?
Bayada provides a range of services to adults and children of all ages to assist with adult nursing and assisted care. The services that are mostly medical include the following:
- Rehabilitation services
- Hospice (in some areas)
- Home health
- Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
However, we realize that not every individual might require in-home medical care; some of our clients who are senior citizens simply want someone to help them get up in the morning, get dressed, and be on their way to starting their day. When it comes to services around the house, Bayada is available 24/7 to provide the following:
- Bathing and dressing
- Administering of medication
- Breakfast
- Housekeeping, such as laundry and other miscellaneous chores
- Errands, such as help with buying groceries
- Prescription pick-up
- General company (some clients simply want someone to read with them)
In order to determine the best possible care that an individual requires, Bayada will send an agent into the client’s home and develop a detailed care plan. These are tailored to the individual to maximize the level of care he/she receives. We have worked the entire gamut, from individuals who want only a few hours of company a day, to people who have required constant, hands-on attention due to having a tracheotomy and being placed on a ventilator.
3. What are the rates, and how are the services paid for?
Normally the standard rate for personal care services is $23/hour. We do have special discounts if you pay privately. We can offer a discount that cuts the rate to $18.25 per hour, which is lower than the national average. There are also other options for payment. We accept Medicaid through the CAP/DA program, we accept the VA Aid & Attendance program, and if you have a long-term policy that will pay for our services, then we accept that as well. We also accept private payment.
When it comes to providing therapy to an individual as part of the home health care, Medicare will pay for the physical therapy clients receive during home visits. Those visits are usually a few times a week for an hour or so a day. Medicare will not, however, pay for custodial care, which is where a CNA would go in with the bathing and personal care.
4. Say I have a loved one who is already in a care facility. Can Bayada still work with him/her?
Yes. In that case, two Bayada offices can come in and help provide services: one is the Bayada Home Health Visit Office, located in Gastonia. It is important to note that they service the Gastonia area. They could come in and provide the medical services, such as physical therapy. The second office to become involved would then be our office in Shelby, where we send the CNA out and provide services for bathing and all personal care. So that takes care of the two components: the medical and the custodial.
We currently have several families who have sought our services so that their loved ones do not have to be completely alone in those facilities. We can provide a CNA to sit with them and keep them company for a few hours, and also provide that extra one-on-one care if they should need it.
5. How can people contact you if they want to ask any questions?
Bayada has over 300 locations in the United States, so it is fairly easy to find a location that is close to you.
If you’d like to call the Shelby, NC, office, call (704) 669-4000.
If you would like to come in and have an in-person discussion about care plans, stop by at
1105-3 East Dixon Blvd. in Shelby.
We can also send a clinical manager to your home for a sit-down and talk with your family, should the individual seeking care have trouble traveling.
Visit our website at www.Bayada.com for further information.
If you would like to sit down and discuss your current plan and situation with me, I would be glad to help you out. Give us a call at the office so that we can schedule a time to chat: 
704-259-7040.
Call me if you have any questions:
Greg McIntyre
Elder Law Attorney
McIntyre Elder Law
123 W. Marion Street, Shelby
704-259-7040
