Frequently asked questions about home care
Honest answers to the home care questions families actually ask, including the awkward ones about cost, scope and what happens when things do not go to plan.
Home care questions, including the awkward ones
Arranging home care for a parent is something most people do once, under pressure, with no experience to draw on. The home care questions below are the ones we are asked most, answered the way we would answer them on the phone.
If what you want to know is not here, call us. There is no such thing as a question that is too small or too blunt, and we would much rather answer it than have you guess.
Getting started
Call us, or send the contact form. We will ask a few questions on the phone, then arrange a free assessment at the house. That visit is where the real planning happens, because how someone manages at home is very difficult to describe over the phone and very easy to see in person.
Yes, and there is no obligation attached to it. Plenty of assessments end with us saying that a family does not need paid care yet, or that a different kind of service would suit them better. We would rather be useful and be remembered than sell something nobody needed.
Usually within a few days of the assessment. If you are facing a hospital discharge tomorrow, tell us on the phone and we will do what we can. We will never promise a shift we cannot cover.
Marion and Johnson counties, from offices in Indianapolis and Greenwood. That includes Indianapolis and its townships, Greenwood, Center Grove, Beech Grove, Lawrence, Speedway, Southport, Whiteland, Bargersville and Franklin. If you are just outside that, call and ask rather than assuming.
Our caregivers
Yes. Criminal background checks, reference checks and skills verification happen before anyone meets a client, and supervision continues throughout. You are entitled to ask any agency this question and to expect a direct answer.
That is what we build towards. A small consistent team covers each client, with a backup who has already met the family, so illness or holidays do not put a stranger at the door.
Tell us and we will change the match. This happens sometimes and it is not a complaint that needs justifying. Personality fit matters as much as competence in someone who is in your home every week.
Scope of care
No. Our caregivers give reminders and cues only. They do not select doses, fill pill organisers, open bottles on someone behalf or place medication in a mouth. Those are nursing tasks. If your family member needs medication administered, that requires a home health nurse and we can explain the difference.
No. Cater2U provides non-medical support only. Skilled nursing, wound care, injections and physical therapy come from a home health agency or clinician. The two services often run alongside each other and we work well with clinical teams.
Yes, with the non-medical side: steady routines, gentle cueing, familiar faces, help with daily living and supervision for safety. We cannot treat dementia or slow it down, and we will not claim otherwise. What we can do is make the day calmer and the home safer.
Scheduling and cost
Ask us when you call, because it depends on the type of care and where you are. Short visits cost more per hour than longer shifts, simply because travel and scheduling overhead are the same either way. We will be straight with you about the trade-off.
Yes. Needs change, sometimes quickly. Hours can go up or down, days can move, and services can be added or dropped. Give us as much notice as you can and we will work with it.
Most commonly private pay or long-term care insurance. We can talk through payment options and help you explore whether you qualify for other programs, though we cannot make eligibility determinations ourselves. For those, your local Area Agency on Aging is a good place to start.
Weekends, holidays and awake overnight shifts typically carry a premium, because they are harder to staff. You will see all of that in writing before you agree to anything. No surprises on an invoice.