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Why choose a Home Care Company over a Private Caregiver

Why choose a Home Care Company over a Private Caregiver

A few years ago I attended my niece’s graduation ceremony where I had the pleasure to watch Lou Holtz speak! I was completely enamored and absorbed by his words, not to mention his passion. He said two things in particular that I wrote down that day:

  1. “Everybody needs four things in life: Something to do, someone to love, someone to believe in and something to hope for.”
  2. “Be Significant! Not only in your life, but in many lives!”

Both of these statements struck a chord in my heart and made me think about my life and the work that I do just a little differently.

I work for an amazing company called With a Little Help which is a Home Care Company and my title is Director of Business Development, but my job is to educate and build relationships. Believe me when I say it is my SOMETHING TO DO!

I’m lucky to say that I have a great husband, a son and a daughter in law to love, who all think I am a little crazy, but I’m good with that because it’s true! My husband has 9 siblings and I was blessed with two moms, two dads, 10 siblings, so many cousins, nieces and nephews I can’t even count them, so needless to say there is never a shortage on SOMEONE TO LOVE! But I know not everyone has someone due to distance or loss and I think that is just one of the reasons I so love the village concept and this makes me feel so good about NEST and the good work they do connecting people together so everyone has SOMEONE TO BELIEVE IN.

A few years ago I was asked to be the Conference Chair for the Washington Home Care Association’s Statewide Conference Blooming with the Boomers. Something bloomed inside of me that year when I realized the power education had on Licensed Home Care Companies across the state of Washington to provide a higher standard of care to seniors and those in need. I got excited…….there it was…..BE SIGNIFICANT IN MANY LIVES!   I also learned that putting on a conference is like putting on a wedding with 36 brides also known as speakers!!

Four years later I am now the Vice President of The Washington Home Care Association and so proud of the hard work we do to ensure safety and better care for seniors and those in need across the state of Washington.

Ours goals are:

  • Protect seniors by setting high industry best-practice standards
  • Educate the public about home care benefits, uses, and resources
  • Advocate in Olympia for our client families and our members
  • Coordinate with and educate other health care providers regarding home care
  • Provide connection, support, education, and training opportunities for members and the community

In January I spent the day in Olympia with the Washington Home Care Association for our 2018 In-Home Services Day!

We come together with the Washington State Hospice & Palliative Care Organization and the Home Care Association of Washington, and our lobbyist at our side to talk about the issues surrounding Home Health, Hospice and Home Care with our representatives and senators.

 

This day always give me

SOMETHING TO HOPE FOR!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All year we collaborate with each of these organizations that provide skilled nursing, health care and support services that allow people to age in place, recover from illness, adapt to disabilities and transitions at the end-of-life. Together we limit the need for institutional care and reduce the overall cost of healthcare by serving patients in their homes. Below are four of the bills that we were educating our representatives and senators about this year.


The House Bill 1300 addresses the underground caregiving world that is completely unregulated. A few of the reasons using a Licensed Home Care Company makes a difference is that Home Care Agencies are Licensed in the State of Washington by the Department of Health and follow the RCW: Revised Code of Washington and WAC: Washington Administrative Code.

Licensed Home Care Companies are SIGNIFICANT in protecting you and your loved ones by providing:

  • Reference Checks
  • Background Checks
  • Fingerprinting
  • Formal training
  • Payroll
  • Taxes
  • Provide backup caregivers
  • Supervision of our caregivers
  • Regular evaluations
  • Ongoing training
  • Workers Compensations
  • Insurance
  • Bonding

With a Little Help- Shawn D’Amelio, Senator Manka Dhingra,  EvergreenHealth- Teresa Holstein & Anne Ulmer

2018 In-Home Services Day Agenda

  • Support Health Care Authority’s (HCA) Report on Home Health Nursing

Medicaid Home Health reimbursements are less than half the cost of providing the service. Home health and private-duty nursing reduces preventable hospital readmissions, reduces hospital length of stay, and prevents overall admissions for patients. Low reimbursements impede our ability to reduce rising healthcare costs by decreasing access to care. In 2017 the legislature authorized the Health Care Authority to collect data on home health and private duty nursing thru the fall of 2018. In 2019, we will be back with recommendations and a funding request for increased home health reimbursements.

  • Support Expansion of Palliative Care and Hospice in Washington State

We support the Dept. of Health and Health Care Authority efforts establishing a funding mechanism for palliative care. Patients with life-threatening chronic illness, who do not meet the 6 months criteria for hospice, deserve team-based palliative care. Hospice currently is underutilized in our state and may increase with the use of palliative care upstream in the health care progression.

  • Support Addressing the Opioid Crisis in WA State

We support the Governor’s bills, SB 6150, Sponsor: Senator Cleveland /HB 2489 Sponsor: Rep Cody, Concerning opioid use disorder treatment and prevention. (Status-in committee) Opioid addiction has an impact on in-home services agencies as we provide care to patients with chronic pain in their home. We also support HB 1047 Secure Medicine Return, Rep Peterson Sponsor (Status- House 2nd Reading Calendar): In-Home Services patients need convenient access to secure medicine drop-boxes statewide to provide a safe way to remove unused medications and reduce access to opioids.

  • Support Fairness for Home Care Agencies

We support HB 1300, Enforcing employee status to ensure fairness to employers and employees and address the underground economy, Sponsor: Rep Riccelli (Status-in committee) Some home care aides considered independent contractors are not operating within state employment laws such as paying for L & I and paying associated taxes.

Written by

Shawn D’Amelio

With a Little Help

Director of Business Development

Washington Home Care Association’s

Vice President &

Blooming with the Boomers Conference Co-Chair

Art of Alzheimer’s Committee Member

EvergreenHealth Seasons of Hope Committee

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With a Little Help
jenn@kauferdmc.com

With A Little Help is a local in-home care company serving the Northwest for 21 years. We provide high-quality 1-on-1 home care to those who need it most. We don't just make a meal for our clients; we sit down and share a meal with them. Companionship is the reason for everything we do, and our mission is that all client/caregiver relationships are authentic and meaningful.