February 29, 2024
Many people are taken aback when they hear the cost of in-home care. That’s understandable. When you’re desperately searching for in-home care for a loved one, the situation is already stressful. But whenever you pay for care – be it at home or in a skilled nursing facility – you are paying for professional expertise, experience, and numerous other factors:
- Professional expertise. People must be paid appropriately for the level of work they do. At Wellspring, all of our in-home nursing care is overseen by our nurse and provided by trained caregivers. They are all experts in caring for adults or children living with disabilities or other chronic conditions. It’s rewarding work, but it can also be difficult and demanding. Our rates reflect the fact that we pay our employees an appropriate living wage. In return, we enjoy low staff turnover. In fact, some of our caregivers have been with us for 20 years.
- Continuity of care. Our clients don’t have to get used to a new caregiver every week or every month. For the client, that continuity is phenomenal. Seeing the same person every day for years builds a relationship that makes a huge contribution to our clients’ well-being and quality of life. It benefits our company as well – we do provide ongoing professional development, but we’re not having to constantly retrain people.
- Attention to detail. The cost of our care includes a lot of supervision, management, and client guidance. Providing the best care in person may require hours of behind-the-scenes discussion and coordination of details. We may have to coordinate with other caregivers and other home-visiting professionals such as podiatrists or home health nurses to meet the client’s specific needs. We also take care to address any cultural needs regarding customs, diet, etc.
- Adaptability. Our expertise and experience allow us to readily adapt when a client’s healthcare needs change. But adaptability also applies to external forces. For example, part of what has impacted cost of care everywhere in the last couple years has been the need to comply with COVID-related requirements for equipment, procedures, and training for the entire staff.
It’s important to us that our clients and prospective clients understand what goes into our rates. We’ve served Chicagoland since 1993, and we know how to design a customized plan of care for each client and provide the services they need. If you’re looking for an agency that pays attention to details, Wellspring is for you.
You may be interested in comparing the costs of various levels of care in Illinois and other states. Genworth, a national insurance company, produces what is considered the go-to reference. You can compare the costs of in-home care, community and assisted living, and nursing home facilities (hourly, daily, monthly and annually).