This section will concern itself with FAQS, the acronym for “frequently asked questions” about home care.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Company Background

How many years has the company been in business in my community?
Dimensional HomeCare Services, Is a newly established homecare agency founded 1999; however, the company has been founded by two Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioner with a combined  experience of over 70 years in delivery care to those individuals in need.  Of the three founders, two have over 15 years of experience in homecare and hospice care.  You can be assured that the care you received is from a team of experience health professionals.

Are references and credentials available from physicians and other health care professionals?
References and credentials can be obtained directly from our office.  Please contact us.

What type of insurance liability coverage does the company have?
Dimensional HomeCare Services, carries many different types of insurance, including Professional Liability, Commercial General Liability and Fidelity Bond coverage.

Is the company in good standing with professional organizations such as the National Association for Home Care, Medicare/Medicaid?
Yes, Dimensional HomeCare Services belongs to National Association for Home Care (NAHC); and seeking membership into American Association of Homecare (AAH), American Federation of Home Health Agencies (AFFA) and the Pennsylvania Association of Home Health Agencies (PAHHA).

 Is the company Medicare/Medicaid certified?
Yes, Dimensional HomeCare Services, is Medicare certified Homecare agency.

Is the company accredited or is it seeking accreditation from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)?
No, because we are a newly established homecare agency we are currently not accredited but we are actively pursuing JCAHO accreditation.

How Do I Qualify For Medicare?
If you are age 65 older; You already get Social Security benefits or are in the railroad retirement system; You have worked long enough to be on Social Security, the railroad retirement system, or federal employment retirement; You are under 65 and have been getting Social Security disability (SSD) for the last 2 years, and/or; You have permanent kidney failure.

If I am over age 65 and still working, can I use Medicare?
Yes. You can use just Medicare. If covered by your employee insurance plan, use your employer's health insurance with Medicare as a backup.

Are services for mental illness covered?
Yes, if you qualify for home health care under Medicare.

Does Medicare cover outpatient therapies (e.g. Physical, Occupational, Respiratory Therapies)?
Yes, if your doctor refers you and you qualify for outpatient therapy.

Types of services

What types of services does the home health company provide? Is it a full service home care company that has the capability of meeting any home care need? Or is it specialized? If you have specific needs, does the home care company offer the services you need?
Dimensional HomeCare Services, provides a broad scope of services including skilled nursing, home health aides, physical, occupational, speech therapy and much more. While we are capable of meeting the needs of most clients who require home health care, please contact us if you think you may be interested in receiving our services.

Can the company provide flexibility to meet a client's changing health care needs?
Each client's plan of care is developed with that individual client's health status in mind and is adapted as necessary. The plan is developed with all members of the health care team (e.g., nurses, therapists, social workers, ancillary caregivers, the physician and other providers of care.)

What is the company's ability to provide continuity (i.e., the same caregiver or care team) in the care provided?
Dimensional HomeCare Services', goal is to provide for continuity of care in all disciplines. Caregivers are carefully screened for availability prior to placement on a case.

Does the company provide an initial assessment to determine if the client would be appropriate for home care?
Once a home care referral is received, client's needs are identified during an assessment by an appropriately qualified health professional. Consultation with the client and family occurs to determine the plan of care. The client and family are always included in the development and revision to the plan of care.

Does the company provide case management services and primary nursing?
Each Dimensional HomeCare Services', client has the benefit of a team of professionals managing his or her care. We work closely with other providers of care to ensure the best possible outcome for our clients. As a benefit to continuity in scheduling caregivers, a primary nurse, or case manager, is assigned to each client to ensure appropriate coordination of care and services.

Who can make a referral?
Any concerned person interested in the health care and well being of another that include:  Doctors, Family, Friends, Hospitals, Clergy, Client and other referring agencies.

What services does Medicare cover?
Medicare covers part-time or intermittent skilled nursing, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, medical social worker and home health aide services in patients' homes when certain criteria are met. In addition, certain supplies and durable medical equipment are also covered under the home health benefit. When services meet all the Medicare coverage criteria, Medicare pays for covered home health services at 100% without deductible or coinsurance with the exception of durable medical equipment for which Medicare pays 80%. A home health agency can explain the Medicare requirements in detail as they apply to your situation.

What services does Medicaid cover?
Medicaid coverage for home health services varies from state to state and program to program. Medicaid generally covers nursing, home health aide and supplies, but may set restrictions on the number of visits and have other coverage requirements. Your case worker can help to explain covered benefits.

Can people without insurance pay out-of-pocket for services?
Yes. In addition, our office staff will assist patients in identifying alternate payor sources, or refer them to local community agencies for additional assistance.

Are home health care services covered by health insurance?
Many health insurance carriers have a home health benefit covered under the major medical portion of the policy or prescription benefit. Some choose a home health care company that their members must use in order to be covered for services (this is called a 'preferred provider'). If you need home health care services, you should check with your insurance carrier to see if they have a designated home health care company. Other types of insurance do not restrict which home health care company their members use, but may limit the home health benefit in some way (e.g., total number of visits, hours or dollars spent on home health care permitted in a year). Check your subscriber agreement or contact your health plan for the deductible and co-insurance that may apply.

Service Policy

 What are the company's hours of service - 24 hrs/day, 7 days/week?
Yes, in all instances.

Is the company able to respond to short notice changes?
Yes, most often we can respond successfully to short notice changes.

How quickly can the company begin service?
Our policy is to schedule the Start of Care assessment visit within 72 hours of the date of referral. In many instances, this may occur even sooner.

How responsive is the company to my call? Were they courteous? Do they respond intelligently to my questions and concerns?
These are customer service qualities that you should note when calling Dimensional HomeCare Services, or any other agency.

Does the company accept insurance or other third-party reimbursement?
Dimensional HomeCare Services accepts payment from insurance companies, private payers and government programs. Many factors affect what, if any, services may be covered by Medicare or Medicaid and by insurance companies. The Dimensional HomeCare Services will review payment options for each client.

Will the company help investigate and provide consultation on my insurance coverage and eligibility?
Yes.

Quality of caregivers

What are the company's hiring practices? How do they select their caregivers?
All applicants need to successfully pass a written competency test as well as a skills demonstration prior to being considered for a position. Applicants for specialty home care, such as infusion therapy, must have prior experience in their specialty field. All clinical applicants are interviewed by a clinical manager to determine their skills set, training and education needs. A criminal background check is also conducted for all applicants  See our screening process form details.

What are the qualifications/credentials of the staff that would be assigned to your case?
All staff carry the credentials required by the state practice act (e.g., RN LPN licensure, HHA certification). In addition, specialty nurses are additionally screened to ensure that their skills are up to date (e.g., infusion tests and skills demonstrations).

Do staff members receive continuing education and training to keep them up-to-date in their fields?
Yes. This is a requirement of all clinical staff. For example, all staff is required to complete mandatory in-servicing annually on blood borne pathogens, tuberculosis control, disaster response, and corporate compliance. In addition, home health aides are required to complete 12 hours of related education annually (in addition to what the state requires).

What types of programs does the company have in place to assure quality-care is provided?
Dimensional HomeCare Services' Quality Assurance Program uses satisfaction surveys, audits and other tools to measure how things are done, how well they are being done and how they might be improved. In addition, all staff are supervised on-site providing care within the first 60 days of placement, and annually thereafter. Client supervision also occurs to ensure that all care provided is appropriate to their needs (the frequency is determined by the level of care the client is receiving).

Are the qualifications of the caregiver matched to my level of need?
Always. We ensure that caregivers are scheduled with the client's needs and the qualification of staff in mind. The scheduler and the clinical manager or professional caregiver work together to custom-match an employee with the client.

State-Licensed/Medicare Certified