Frequently Asked Questions What is a Caregiver? A caregiver is someone who provides the non-medical support to help maintain the well-being, personal appearance, comfort and safety of people of all ages and abilities, who sometimes must rely upon another person to meet their daily needs. What is a Non-Medical Home Care? Home Care is a widely recognized term for the process of providing in-home help to a partially or fully dependent individual.  Non-Medical Home Care means that the caregivers cannot perform nursing functions and should never be expected to provide care that is clearly medical in nature. What are the advantages of Home Care? One of the great advantages of home care is that it allows a person to maintain a feeling of independence and comfort in familiar surroundings.  With adequate assistance, it can provide maximum freedom and improve the quality of life.  Some studies have shown that the longer people remain independent from institutional care, the better their overall physical and emotional health.    There can also be significant financial savings because you save by not paying for unnecessary services or institutional overhead.  Home care can also prevent or postpone institutionalization to a nursing home or to a long term care facility. Will Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance pay for Home Care services? Many long term insurance policies do pay for home care services.  We can assist the client in verifying coverage.  Medicare or Medicaid does not cover these services. Am I considered an employer if I contract for your Home Care services? Bay Area Caregivers is the employer and the caregivers are our employees the entire time they stay with you.  As such, we will take care of all compliances with state and federal employment tax regulations. Are your caregivers bonded? Yes.  All caregiveres are bonded and completely covered by our liability insurance policies and workers' compensation.