The Lifematters Difference
Lifematters employs a large team of compassionate, certified, and carefully vetted field staff that allows us to quickly meet your home care needs.
The Lifematters Difference
Lifematters employs a large team of compassionate, certified, and carefully vetted field staff that allows us to quickly meet your home care needs.
Our home care team is made up of highly trained and skilled home care aides and certified nursing assistants. Every Lifematters caregiver is certified in home care and is a company employee, not an independent contractor. Learn more about our hiring and training processes.
Our home care services include:
Caring Companionship
Bathing & Grooming
Lifting & Transfers
Personal Safety & Security
Light Housekeeping
Linen Changes & Bed Making
Assistance at Events
Food Freshness Monitoring
Medication Reminders
Nutrition Planning
Meal Preparation
Transportation & Errands
Client Testimonial
“For those 12 hours that Lifematters was there, it just made a world of difference for me.”
Client Testimonial
“For those 12 hours that Lifematters was there, it just made a world of difference for me.”
How We Work
In order to make your home care search and decision as simple and stress free as possible, we developed our unique Lifematters Care Plan Process. Based on the information you provide us, we work hard to identify the best caregiver match for your family’s unique needs from our large pool of trained and certified candidates. From the minute you contact Lifematters, you are connected with a member of our dedicated client services team, who will ensure all of your questions and concerns are answered. Your assigned client services team – including a director of client services, Registered Nurse, Care Manager and staffing coordinator – take a personal approach with both clients and caregivers, and work together to create a customized care plan that meets your requirements and delivers the care you need.
THE LIFEMATTERS CARE PLAN PROCESS: WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE START OF CARE
Call 800-293-8973 or complete our online client registration; and a knowledgeable client services representative will contact you as soon as possible to discuss your care needs. If you would like a Lifematters representative to consult with you in person, we can quickly schedule a meeting. If your care need is immediate, we can provide services same day.
Following a provided start of care date, a Lifematters Registered Nurse will perform an in-home assessment to establish a plan of care that acts as a care guide for caregivers working in the home.
Assessment categories include:
Client Demographics
Vital Signs
Current and Past Diagnoses
Current Medications
Body Systems
Activities of Daily Living
After we discuss your care needs, we will create a list of qualified caregivers whose skill sets and personality best match your needs based on:
License and scope of practice
Experience
Hours available
Location and transportation availability
Once candidates are reviewed, your Lifematters client services team selects and assigns the best matched caregiver. If requested, clients can then schedule in-person interviews in order to assure a perfect match.
Paperwork must be completed at the start of care, either online or in person. Lifematters will send you a complete welcome packet that contains contact information for office staff, billing practices, privacy practices, expectations from caregivers working within the home, and more.
Once your caregiver has begun working in the home, you will receive a follow-up supervisory assessment by a Lifematters registered nurse on a regularly scheduled and periodic, ongoing basis to monitor client progress and make plan of care adjustments as necessary. This is to ensure that our caregivers receive the most updated information and provide the best level of quality care possible. To ensure that our caregivers continue to provide our standard exemplary level of care, ongoing check-ins by our home care quality and relationship experts will take place for the length of our engagement.
Ready to Get Started?
Download Our Free Home Safety Checklist for Seniors
Today, the vast majority of seniors are choosing to remain in their homes as they age. In order to accommodate this choice and ensure a safe living environment, it is critical to determine the safest living set-up possible. Our free downloadable guide provides a handy check list you can use when performing a basic home safety check.
Frequently Asked Questions
Depending on the need, Lifematters can often times set up care within hours.
The Lifematters caregiver matching process combines the information directly provided during your initial phone contact, our Registered Nurse’s assessment, and our industry knowledge and experience, resulting in the right caregiver for you. Unique in our industry, Lifematters clients are directly involved in the selection of their caregiver. Beyond simply assigning a caregiver with the basic necessary skills, we invest as much time as necessary to provide the best matched caregivers for our clients.
Lifematters provides ongoing training and assessments for our caregivers that include:
- All federal- and state-required in-service programs to insure that caregiver licenses are up to date and in good standing
- Regular comprehensive competency assessment by a registered nurse
- Basic training in personal care, hygiene, mobility and transferring
- Training programs in partnership with affiliated partners, such as the Alzheimer’s Association, The ALS Association, The Parkinson’s Foundation, and others
Unlike many home care companies, we don’t hire independent contractors. Our caregivers are all Lifematters’ employees and each of them is an integral part of our home care company.
All caregivers complete a thorough interview process that includes:
- License and Medical certification verifications
- Review of previous work experience and years of caregiving experience
- Reference checks
- Required medical examinations
- Verification to determine eligibility to work in the U.S.
- National criminal background check
- Skills assessment
- Company policy and procedure orientation
As an agency that is licensed throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Lifematters can bill your long-term care insurance company on your behalf. Additionally, we will assist you with submitting all documentation needed to determine your eligibility and begin your insurance payments.
Lifematters billing procedures can vary based on services provided. A Lifematters representative will clarify billing procedures and options for you, including when payment is due to the company.
You may be responsible for a premium rate on holidays, or mileage charges when a caregiver uses their own vehicle for transportation or errands. Specific plans of care including live-in services, skilled nursing and the delivery of needed medical supplies could result in additional charges, please check with your representative for details.
There is no average cost for home care and care management services because each situation is unique. Lifematters has various levels of professionals; with different levels of fees. The best suggestion is to contact us to discuss your unique situation.
Types of Home Care – Hours and Costs – Employee-Based
Hourly: Caregivers come for a set amount of hours based on the client’s needs and wants. In the DC metro area, the minimum is usually 4 hours and the average cost ranges between $28.00 and $33.00 per hour, plus mileage reimbursement. A caregiver hired for an overnight shift must remain awake and alert.
Live-in: A caregiver lives with his/her client. Caregivers need their own room to sleep and must have the ability to take breaks. The caregiver is allowed to sleep 6 to 8 hours overnight. The average cost for live-in care in the DC metro area ranges between $400.00 – $450.00 per day.
Transportation as part of your care program is available. Our client services directors will inquire if you need a caregiver who has their own vehicle or if you prefer to use your own vehicle. Whether you require assistance in getting to a doctor’s appointment, shopping, or if you just want a ride to visit a friend, we can help.
Lifematters offers a full range of private duty nursing services provided by licensed and trained LPNs (licensed practical nurses) and RNs (registered nurses). All skilled care cases are supervised by Lifematters RNs.
Lifematters’ Care Management services can help family members located out of the area remain in touch and provide updates regarding your loved one.
There is no right answer to this question. We are able to step in and assist you at any time. We can start when you think you require a more supportive living environment, during the loss of a family member, when you are in the hospital, when you need home care services or after a medical diagnosis. If you need the help, that is the right time. Call us to discuss your unique situation.
Lifematters care services can include an in-home consultation, detailed written care plan, supervisory visits, personal care and help with activities of daily living, including medication reminders, light housekeeping, meal preparation, companionship, respite care, and laundry.
You will have a dedicated client services team to ensure your shifts are staffed to your expectations.
A qualified Lifematters client service manager or nurse will discuss your situation, answer your questions, and establish your basic home care needs. In addition, they will make an appointment to meet with you and your family to assess and identify your specific needs.
Lifematters is an award-winning industry leader that was founded by professionals who have worked in senior care for most of their careers, and they love what they do. They have a comprehensive understanding that the majority of older adults want to age in place in the home of their choosing. Our industry experts can help develop a plan of care that meets your specific needs. Contact us to discuss your unique situation.
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Serving the Greater Washington, DC Area Since 2004
We’re proud to have served the people of Washington, DC for over 17 years.