FAQs

Q: What is Care Management?
A: CARE MANAGEMENT is defined as comprehensive assistance to seniors and persons with complex chronic health needs and disabilities for attaining their maximum functional potential. It means that the Care Manager designs a set of activities based on a need assessment for managing and understanding the following critical aspects of care.

Medical conditions and effects on the lifestyle
Related psycho-social problems that interfere with recovery
Pathways to stabilizing health problems
Home safety changes necessary for reduction of injury
Means to reducing re-hospitalization and emergency room visits

Q: My siblings all disagree about how to care for our aging parents. How can family mediation help?
A: Ivory House Health Services does mediation sessions aimed at helping families, clients, friends and any other connected parties reach consensus during times of crisis. These planned sessions will be conducted by a trained professional. Many decisions that change lives in significant ways are difficult to make. The more family members involved and the more previous family conflict, the harder it is to make the appropriate plans for loved ones.

Involving a trained professional with the necessary skills and background in understanding problematic family dynamics may be the answer. Maintaining relationships is important. Resolving conflict and making decisions are important, but equally critical is maintaining the relationships among the parties. The staff at Ivory House has many years of experience and is prepared to work with families to resolve such issues. Reaching consensus may be as easy as dialing 410-823-3153. Call us today to set an appointment with a trained professional.

Q: I need to find an assisted living facility for my mother but I don’t know where to begin. Can you help?
A: When you are feeling overwhelmed with the many living arrangements available in the market place you need the help of a professional who specializes in eldercare. Choosing a place for care is more complicated than visiting the facility. You need to know what is available, what questions to ask and what level of care you need. You want the move to be fit your needs and you do not want to move again.

Ivory House Health Services will assign a professional geriatric care manager to complete an in-depth needs assessment covering medical, psycho-social and family history; mental status; nutritional, cultural and spiritual needs; personality; financial history and support systems. This information will be put into a report outlining care options and facility recommendations when appropriate.

Q: I just called an agency that uses independent contractors. Why is it so important that an agency uses its own employees instead of independent contractors?
A: An agency like Ivory House Health Services is responsible for insuring and bonding all of its employees. Furthermore, professional oversight of our field employees by a registered nurse is part of our assurance of excellence. As an employer, we can hold our staff responsible for everything from proper conduct to strict compliance with regulations such as keeping an updated CPR card, having a recent tuberculosis screening test, and having updated, ongoing educational classes on important topics such as fire safety and infection control. We also have a full office staff to stand behind our field employees, including 24-hour on-call service, a professional scheduling coordinator who takes personalities and skills into account when matching clients to caregivers, and a responsive, state-of-the art accounting department to track everything.

Q: If I hire Ivory House Health Services to provide a certified nursing assistant, what kinds of things can she do to help?
A: A certified nursing assistant can help in many ways, including:

Q: Mom doesn’t need any help with personal care…. yet. But I don’t want her home alone day after day. What should I do?
A: Companion Care services can be a life-saver! Services are provided by qualified companions and homemakers. They include assistance with daily planning and scheduling appointments, talking, sharing, reading aloud, writing letters, preparing meals and eating together, safety supervision, reminders about medications, walking and exercising, performing light housekeeping, laundry and other household chores, shopping and running errands, having outings, socializing, and attending entertaining events.

"It has been my pleasure to have worked with you and your agency. I take great pride in making referrals to agencies depending upon my patient’s needs, and trust that your agency is doing the same. I have been very pleased with you and your staff’s attentiveness and coordination of care needs. I am pleased to continue referring patients and maintain our working relationship."