Care Services FAQs

While in-home care can be used to describe both medical and non-medical care in the home, typically in-home care refers to non-medical care such as companionship, homemaking services and personal care. Home health is a term used to describe skilled nursing care and other functions such as speech, physical or occupational therapy.

In-home care allows your loved one to get the help he or she needs without giving up independence

Yes.  Services are available for as little as a few hours a visit up to 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Yes.  Comfort Keepers can provide companionship or personal care to residents at retirement homes, nursing homes and hospitals who may desire additional attention or personalized care.

Each Comfort Keepers office is independently owned and operated.   We encourage you to contact your local office directly for a complete list of products and services available, as well as the rates for your area.

The local Comfort Keepers office develops an individualized and completely confidential Plan of Care for each client.  The purpose is to document the type of care services needed and when the client would like to initiate care.  Once the client, family members, and local office agree on the Plan of Care, the office staff will use that information to recommend the Comfort Keeper who will be delivering the service, establish the schedule and agree to the monitoring and communication.

Plans of Care are reviewed with the client and family at least every six months.  The review is an important process to ensure the client is receiving the appropriate level of care and is pleased with the Comfort Keeper providing the care.

Each caregiver, special people we call Comfort Keepers, is an employee who is carefully screened and trained before caring for a client.  Each must undergo a rigorous process including national and local criminal background checks, driver’s checks and personal and professional reference checks.  All Comfort Keepers are bonded, insured, and covered by Workers’ Compensation insurance for our clients’ peace-of-mind. We strive to hire the very best caregivers to become Comfort Keepers, because we only hire people we would want caring for a member of our own family.

During the initial conversation and the in-home visit, the Client Care Manager will document the services required and the client’s preferences for a Comfort Keeper match.  Then, the Client Care Manager selects the best caregiver fit for the client and will arrange an introduction between the client and the Comfort Keeper.  We strive to ensure that everyone agrees and understands what services are to be provided.

At Comfort Keepers we aim to provide caregiver continuity so that a strong bond is formed between our client and their Comfort Keeper.  There may of course be times during which an alternative Comfort Keeper is required or do to the degree of care needed, multiple caregivers need to be assigned to the same client.

Each Comfort Keepers office employs a team of caregivers so that your care service will not be interrupted if someone gets sick or goes on vacation.   If your Comfort Keeper is unavailable, the Client Care Manager will arrange another caregiver and will contact you in advance of the change. Any interim caregiver will be fully briefed on your plan of care. Our goal is to ensure that services are provided as expected. Your safety and security are a top priority.

Live-in care is the same as home care, but caregivers live with their clients.

A caregiver provides seniors and other adults assistance at home to ensure their physical wellbeing and social health. Caregivers provide companionship, personal care, and other quality of life services. This can include mobility and safety assistance, help with meals and housekeeping, transportation to appointments and social events, as well as activities that encourage engagement, purpose, connection and joy.

If you’re wondering how to become a caregiver, visit our careers page for more information.

The term aging in place refers to seniors that choose to remain in their home as they get older instead of moving to an independent or assisted living community. According to the AARP, a majority of seniors would prefer to remain in their homes for as long as possible. And aging in place has a number of benefits.

• Seniors who remain in their own homes as they age enjoy the consistency of belonging to communities where they may have lived for many years surrounded by friends and families.
• Being surrounded by beloved objects and memory cues can foster a sense of connection and peace, and for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, a familiar environment can reduce confusion and improve mental engagement.
• Remaining in the home also avoids the stress of relocation and acclimating to new environments.
• Aging in place can be more cost-effective than facility care.

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) describe basic tasks essential for day-to-day functioning. These include bathing, dressing, grooming, eating, mobility and toileting. Many seniors who require help with such activities are largely independent but may require help with one or two ADLs.

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) are those activities that are important in enhancing a client’s quality of life. IADLs include shopping, paying bills, household chores (cleaning, laundry), and meal preparation.

Seniors and other adults that need assistance at home may require assistance with ADLs or IADLs. Comfort Keepers offers an array of companionship and in-home care services, and specific tasks are laid out in the Plan of Care that is customized for each individual and family.

Comfort Keepers assists seniors and other adults that need help at home to live their best quality of life. This can include help with aging parents, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, mobility assistance and a variety of care types.

Comfort Keepers provides uplifting in-home care that considers a client’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. We provide companionship care services such as meal preparation, laundry, light housekeeping, grocery shopping/errands, escorted transportation, medication reminders, grooming, and live-in service. We also provide a wide range of personal in-home care services. This includes bathing, grooming, hygiene, mobility assistance, transferring/positioning, toileting/incontinence, and feeding/special diet assistance. Some offices provide Dementia/Alzheimer’s care, nursing or and in-home safety technology solutions. Services vary by province and office.

Every Comfort Keepers caregiver is an employee who is carefully screened and trained before caring for a client. Each must undergo a rigorous process including national and local criminal background checks and personal and professional reference checks. All Comfort Keepers are bonded, insured, and covered by Workers’ Compensation insurance for our clients’ peace-of-mind. Caregivers are screened for empathy and trained to provide the highest quality in-home care.

Yes. We understand that situations can arise where one needs in-home care services in a hurry. We can provide services on an as-needed basis.

Comfort Keepers develops a custom, individualized and completely confidential Plan of Care for each client. This document describes the home care services needed and when the client would like to initiate care. Care plans include tasks and goals to help caregivers provide the best physical, mental and emotional wellbeing care.

Once a client and their loved ones agree on a plan with the local office, staff will use that information to recommend the Comfort Keeper who will be delivering the service, establish the schedule and develop a strategy for ongoing communication.

Plans of Care are reviewed with the client and family at least every six months, but reviews may be more frequent based on needs. The review ensures that new goals and needs are addressed and gives Comfort Keepers the opportunity to ensure that the client and their family is pleased with the care being provided.

During the initial conversation and the in-home visit, the Client Care Coordinator will document the home care services required and the client’s preferences for a Comfort Keeper match. The Client Care Coordinator then selects the best caregiver and arranges an introduction between the client, Comfort Keeper, and Coordinator to introduce this new team. During that meeting, everyone reviews the Plan of Care to ensure agreement and understanding of services to be provided.

The focus of Interactive Caregiving^™ is doing things with our clients instead of just doing things for them. While our caregivers help with the needs of seniors, they encourage participation and engagement as much as possible. This allows our caregivers to develop a relationship with clients and keep them physically and mentally active. We believe in-home care is about more than completing tasks on a list — we offer personalized care that helps clients enjoy their time and improves quality of life. By focusing on interactive caregiving, we can elevate the spirits of clients and their families.

In-home care is often a necessity for those that are transitioning home after a hospital stay or procedure. Whether someone is moving from a rehabilitation facility or directly from a hospital, there are benefits to completing recovery at home with a professional, quality caregiver to assist.

Comfort Keepers can provide a custom care plan for transitional care, including transportation home from a hospital or facility, and to scheduled follow up appointments and therapy sessions.

In addition to the physical challenges of healing after an illness or injury, patients can experience depression or anxiety when they aren’t able to participate in their normal routines and social activities. Our caregivers can provide transportation to community events, support physician-prescribed exercise regimens, provide companionship and help families stay connected through technology.

Companion, or companionship, care includes preparing meals, laundry, light housekeeping, grocery shopping and errands, transportation to appointments and social events, reminders for grooming, respite care, medication reminders and education and communication with a client’s loved ones. At Comfort Keepers, we also focus on activities that bring joy, provide mental stimulation and encourage physical and emotional wellbeing.

Comfort Keepers’ trained caregivers assist with personal care needs ranging from stand-by assistance to full care depending on each client’s individual needs. This can include bathing, mobility assistance, position changes for those clients that are bedbound, incontinence and toileting care, preparing and serving meals, specialized care for those with memory issues or cognitive impairments, fall risk assessment and prevention, change in condition monitoring, and assistance with outings, social events, shopping trips, and other activities of interest to maintain engagement both physically and emotionally. A personal care assistant can help with basic activities of daily living, or ADLs.

Light housekeeping includes tasks that provide seniors with tidy, clean, safe spaces in their home. This can include disinfecting surfaces, cleaning counters and floors in the kitchen and bathroom, dusting, de-cluttering, vacuuming, taking out the trash and other household tasks. Many seniors are capable and willing to maintain their own spaces, and our individualized care plans for clients is customized to consider the physical ability of the client and the level of assistance they need and want. Many of our clients enjoy the activity of cleaning their house and find that working side-by-side with a caregiver can help build their relationship.

Respite care is defined as the transfer of primary caregiving responsibilities to another person, typically a professional caregiver, relative or friend, in order for primary caregivers to receive temporary relief from caregiving responsibilities. Respite care takes many forms – some family caregivers choose to have someone take on caregiver duties for a few hours a week or a few hours a day. Others schedule respite care for longer periods of time to accommodate an extended break or vacation.

When a family member is diagnosed with limited life expectancy, he or she often has a strong desire to spend the final days in the comfort of home. However, caring for a loved one at the end-of-life can be emotionally challenging and physically exhausting.

Comfort Keepers can support you and your loved one by working with a hospice agency or medical provider to fully meet the family’s care needs. We will help care for your loved one, as well as assist around the house and provide the family with emotional and moral support. The end of one’s life is an upsetting time, but Comfort Keepers’ services can lessen stress for everyone involved.