Frequently Asked Questions

We hold a comprehensive Home Care license from the state of Georgia, Department of Community Health. Both our company and our employees are bonded and insured, including liability coverage and workman’s compensation. We are happy to show proof of insurance upon request.

Home care is a service that assists those in need to continue living and celebrating life from the comfort of their own home. Home care is a model of care that includes both professional and informal support networks that include family, neighbors, and friends. To remain independent, these individuals construct your own custom, personal care team who works together to meet your goals and expected outcomes.

• Home Care
  – Medical: Skilled Nursing
  – Non-medical: assistance / support
• Hospice
• Doctor-ordered therapy
• Other

• Medical: skilled home care with visiting nurses
• Non-Medical: stand-alone services that don’t require doctor’s orders, just help in daily activities, or to support/supplement skilled care. Non-medical in-home care focuses on helping seniors with the daily activities they need to engage in life and remain safe and healthy. Family members or professional caregivers who do not have a medical license generally can perform these tasks.

• Companion Care Services (IADL’s) such as the elderly, new and expectant parents, disabled individuals, and those transitioning from a hospital or medical facility to home, etc.
• Independent Care Services such as elderly clients who don’t require full-time, hands-on care or young adult with physical or mental impairments, etc.
• Personal Care Assistance Services (ADL’s) such as patients who have been discharged and receive doctor’s orders or assistance with physical therapy, seniors and elderly adults who require more full-time, hands-on care, maternity and postnatal care, etc.)

You could use it when activities of daily living (ADLs) become difficult, or before they become difficult. A few examples of tasks would be:

• Bathing
• Transferring
• Toileting
• Continence
• Medication Management
• Companionship
• Meal Preparation
• Light Housekeeping
• Transportation / Driving

Hospital Discharge Coordination Services: Being discharged from the hospital after a short or extended illness can be both a relief and overwhelming at the same time. Our caregivers make sure you or your loved one’s transition from hospital to home goes as smoothly as possible. We assist our clients in everything from organizing belongings at the hospital, helping you understand discharge instructions, and assisting clients in following physician’s orders once they are at home.

1. In-home
2. Facility-based
3. Nursing Homes
4. Assisted Living Communities
5. Adult Day Care
6. Retirement Communities
7. Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)

Your financial, social, and health situation will often determine which environment you choose.

We offer complimentary Care Planning Assessments to provide you with a personalized care plan and cost quote from HomeCareQuote.

Knowing how to pay for home care can be confusing. In many cases, there are financial options that can help lessen the burden, and many people find that home care works out to be the most affordable assisted living option. Options to help with affordability include:

• Private pay
• Long-term care insurance
• Veteran Aid & Attendance
• Medicare or Medicaid (At this time, Home Care Matters is not a Medicare or Medicaid provider.)
• Private health insurance (check with your provider to verify benefits)  *At this time, Home Care Matters is not contracted with any private insurance companies.

Not necessarily, but home care can be an excellent support to transition families who are considering it in the near future, whether due to physical restraints, or companionship for mental stimulation, encouragement and friendship.

As a Georgia state licensed agency, we are required to screen every employee with a national (FBI) criminal background and fingerprint check (GCHEXS), E-Verify (a legal citizen or resident), their work and education references, driver’s license, valid social security card and auto insurance before they are hired. All employees follow infection control protocol and receive yearly testing for skills, tuberculosis, and other communicable illnesses.

We do have a daily minimum of 6 consecutive hours per day and a weekly minimum of 30 hours. The days and time of day are flexible based on your need. Your schedule can be changed and/or modified anytime to accommodate your needs. For best results and consistency in caregivers and care, we recommend a set schedule.

We do everything with our control to have the resources available to provide temporary coverage when one of our regular scheduled caregivers is not able to make his or her scheduled times.

Home Care Matters confirms automobile insurance coverage on all our employees as a condition of employment.

There are many reasons why you should work with an agency as opposed to hiring a private caregiver.  The primary reason for working with an Agency vs. hiring a private caregiver is to prevent you from becoming an employer and being subject to all of the legal requirements of being an employer and following all of the applicable requirements for being an employer.

As an employer, you will be responsible for paying payroll taxes including Social Security, Medicare, and Unemployment Insurance.  You will also be required to file quarterly and annual payroll tax returns for the State of Georgia and the Internal Revenue Service.  Lastly, by law, you will be required to provide your private caregiver with Worker’s Compensation insurance.

If you do not pay payroll taxes, file payroll tax returns, or provide workers’ compensation insurance to your private caregiver, you are at risk of audit and penalties by the Georgia Department of Labor and the Internal Revenue Service.  In addition, if your private caregiver is injured in your home, you are subject to significant legal liability and medical costs for your private caregiver. 

By working with an agency instead of hiring a private caregiver, you are not considered the caregiver’s employer and are not subject to the applicable employment laws and requirements.  Also, by working with an agency, you will be supported by a team of experienced professionals who understand all of the requirements for providing exceptional in-home care.  When a caregiver is ill or unable to work, an agency such as Home Care Matters, will do everything under our control to provide backup Care Professionals to ensure the continuity of care for you or your loved ones.

We are a non-clinical and non-medical service provider. As a result, we are not allowed to provide any clinical or invasive services such as insulin injections, cut nails (we can file nails), wound care, give enemas, or any other services that would break the skin or enter the body. We can assist with medications as long as they are pre-dosed and prepared by a medical professional or a family member in a pillbox or labeled pill cups.

Quality is extremely important to us.  We do regularly scheduled supervisory visits and client reassessments approximately every 90 days. 

We are also part of an independent third-party review service called Home Care Pulse.  Home Care Pulse interviews 10% of our clients and caregivers each month at random to inquire and verify that we are providing the highest levels of quality care to our clients.

Home Care Matters is proud to have been a winner of all 3 of their awards including Best of Home Care, Provider of Choice & Employer of Choice.  This means that our company was among the highest-rated in-home care agencies in the United States and Georgia.  Additionally, we won awards for service and employment from Senior Advisor and Caring.com.

See all Awards in the Awards And Affiliations page

Cities & towns covered in the counties of Barrow, Clarke, Dawson, Dekalb, Forsyth, Gwinnett, Hall, North Fulton, Jackson. For information on your area call (770) 965.4004.