A Special Spotlight on Another Ivory House Star!

Wendy Bailey

Wendy Bailey is a very reliable and hard working caregiver. Wendy has been with Ivory House for only 4 months but within these few months her quality of work has been nothing but excellent. Wendy goes out her way to serve as a certified nursing assistant at Ivory House Health Services. Her attitude is impeccable and outstanding. Wendy just recently lost her father to an illness and still is giving excellent care to our clients, with no time requested off. She eagerly fills in and works shifts at the last minute. Wendy Bailey is an awesome worker. She is an one of a kind caregiver.

Why The Type of  Home Care Agency Matters

Hiring the wrong type of home care help-by going through a registry or referral service or hiring help on your own-can expose patients to financial, legal, and safety risks, like liability for payroll taxes or on-the-job injuries, property losses, or care that is unreliable, substandard, or even abusive. Only a licensed, bonded, and insured home care agency guarantees your peace of mind-and good patient care.

Home care agencies:

Not all agencies are created alike. When hiring-or referring patients to-a home care agency, it’s important to know the difference between types of agencies. Some are licensed, bonded, and insured; others are simply referral services that try to match independent contractor home care providers with clients. Unknowingly selecting the wrong type of agency can expose you-or your patients-to financial and legal risks.

Key questions about any home care agency:

• Is it licensed, bonded, and insured?
• Are the caregivers employees or independent contractors?
• What type of background check does the agency perform on caregivers?
• Does the agency have someone on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week?

What a licensed, bonded, and insured home care agency does-in addition to providing excellent private duty care:

• Care is monitored and the agency responds to changing care needs.
• Agency supervision helps create positive working relationships between caregivers, patients, and families.
• As an employer, the full service agency pays payroll taxes for all caregivers. A registry isn’t an employer.
• The agency hires, trains, supervises, and conducts performance evaluations on its employees.
• If an employee is injured while providing care in the home, the agency’s insurance coverage-not the homeowner’s-applies.
• The agency conducts background checks-including reference checks, criminal background, and drug screens-on all employees as a routine part of the pre-employment process.
• If a regularly scheduled caregiver is ill or otherwise unable to come to work, the agency-not the patient-is responsible for finding a replacement.
• Provides peace of mind that the patient will receive the very best home care available.

Points to remember

• Only a licensed, bonded, and insured home care agency provides both high quality care and legal and financial protection for patients and families.
• Knowing what type of agency you’re hiring or recommending is essential for your peace of mind.

Ivory House Health Services are Geriatric Care Managers and Certified Nursing Assistants working together to allow seniors to live more safely in the comfort of their own homes. If not possible to remain at home, our staff is knowledgeable about the many options for varied assisted living facilities that are available in the Baltimore area. For more information about our Care for the Elderly and In Home Care in Maryland you can contact Ivory House Health Services by calling 1-800-704-3536.

Care Management Works

Fewer emergency room visits and hospitalizations with care management.

Recent research points to the decreased risk of emergency room visits and hospital admissions in 226 frail, high-risk, elderly patients who received geriatric care management services.

The chart on the left above details the decrease in emergency department visits from 1,500 visits to 700 visits over a 24-month period when patients received geriatric care management services.

The chart on the right above shows the decrease in hospitalizations when care management services are used, from 800 admissions to 400 over a 24-month period.

For more information on Ivory House Health Services Geriatric Care Management, Call Us at 800-704-3536.

A Special Spotlight on Two Ivory House Stars!

Joyce Brodie

Joyce represents the IHHS value of compassionate caregiving.  She has assisted two elderly ladies with a difficult transition in levels of care (home to nursing home and hospital to assisted living).  Her patience and attention to quality of life needs of the clients has eased the burden on families, facility staff and the elders.

Pamela Johnson

Pam exemplifies the value of teamwork.  When Joyce lost her husband in a tragic event, Pam stepped in and maintained the routine that had been established.  This action created continuity which maintains the client’s sense of wellbeing.  In other assignments, Pam has added on her special touches to the plan of care, but supports the efforts of her caregivers without undermining their achievements.