New England Senior Services has worked hard at developing a system
of initial service assessment, a quality care program to improve overall health, and safety monitoring/home inspections for you or your loved one. We hope the information below will answer some of your questions or concerns, and help you feel comfortable with our services.

* How do we begin?

We begin by having discussions with involved family members on what the needs are believed to be. We have conversations about their history, and what their lifestyle was like before these services were needed. We feel it’s important to know this history for balancing our services. Our discussion then leads toward more specific questions on tasks that can no longer be completed, required services, and potential safety risks.

Our goal at the end of our assessment is to jointly define an individualized program on what assistance is needed, while giving the most freedom and independence possible. We believe it is equally as important to retain as much freedom as possible.

* What happens at the first care visit?

We understand losing independence is very difficult for most. We view this as building a friendship, and work toward them looking forward to seeing and working together with us. We spend time getting to know each other and showing us around.

Slowly, we offer help with the services we defined in the program assessment. The last thing we want to do is come in and start taking over, unless physical limitations required this, and the family agreed.

Our goal is to build a relationship, one visit at a time. We end the visit with a discussion and review. We want them to be sure how honored we are to be a small part of their home, and discuss how things went.

We follow-up with a call to the family, giving them a detailed summary of the visit.

* How do I know my caregiver can be trusted?

We are a family operation and have kept it that way intentionally. We are dedicated to helping others, and would not be in this business without that passion. We offer an official criminal background check report for each employee, upon request. This is another way we can assure you we can be trusted.

 
* What do you keep track of?

At each visit, we complete a detailed report on:

Ø     What services were performed that day

Ø     Clients level of involvement

Ø     Safety issues noted and repaired (doors locking, space heaters being used, windows, oil level, etc)

Ø     Condition of home (cleanliness, fresh food condition, etc)

Ø     Obvious health issues noticed (sores, rashes, aches, bruises, limping)

Ø     Anything noteworthy in conversations (health related comments, loneliness, etc)

Ø     Purchases made, transportation mileage, and hours worked

* How are family members informed on how things are going?

We use several methods of reporting, monitoring, tracking progress, and changes in behavior of your loved one.

Step 1: The Initial Assessment:  Meet with all family members (if possible) as discussed above. Initial determination of services made.

Step 2: Daily Reporting:  Reports are filed each day we service. This so we have a daily record of events and conversation highlights. Files are kept confidential.

Step 3: Family Updates:  Updates are given to the family once a week. An immediate call is made if something is of concern. If a change in services is recommended by New England Senior Services, a call is made at that time.

Step 4: 30 Day Evaluations:  After 30 days, a formal review is done with the appointed family member(s). We discuss
the last 30 days in detail, reviewing the services we have performed and how things have gone. We will discuss our assessment of how things are going, discuss the family’s feedback, and agree on any recommended changes in services.

Step 5: 90 Day Evaluation:  After 90 days, we find another review is useful. This gives a good amount of time for the services to settle in, and you some time to make an evaluation.  

Custom Reporting: We have the option of supplying you with customized reporting. If there are specific areas you would like to receive more information on, or increased frequency, those services can be arranged. Pictures or Videos of your loved one can be done.

* What are your rates?

We aim to keep our rates as low as possible. Most services are hourly. Other services in the areas of home repair, improvement and safety include materials. We would be happy to discuss our rates in a one on one conversation, or at a free consultation visit.

* Am I locked into a long-term commitment?

New England Senior Services asks that you agree to a 30 day commitment. We believe this gives you enough time to evaluate the services we provide, and begin to see the positive effect of our program. This also gives us enough time to make any minor adjustments needed to services, and fine tune the program. Anytime after the first 30 days, for some reason you feel the program is not what you need, there is no obligation to continue. We think you’ll be happy with us and make a difference in all of your lives.