Frequently Asked Questions on All Things Home Care
Please review these questions for more information. Contact us directly for further assistance.
General Home Care FAQ
The CDPAP program allows you to do exactly that. If you would like to apply to be part of the CDPAP program, please follow this link here. If you think your might be eligible for Medicaid but are not sure and would like some help, please contact us here.
If you would like to learn more about the CDPAP Program then please read our detailed CDPAP FAQs
Thank you, you have come to the right place. Caring Professionals offer a comprehensive program of free home care and house keeping offerings for Holocaust Survivors called the Caring Companions Service. There are more details here, with an opportunity to apply as well information and an FAQ.
Yes. Our intake team can work with you to provide the best care plan for your family, whether you have Medicaid, Medicare, long term care insurance or are paying out-of-pocket. Please contact us here
Yes we provide comprehensive home care solutions for you or a loved one. Schedule an appointment to discuss your home care needs here or call us 212 647 7700.
As well as our home care services, our concierge service brings you services beyond home care to ensure you maintain your independence and enjoy your retirement in your own home.
Yes Caring Professionals has many long term relationships with the various CHHAs, the people who organise your home care after you are discharged, across New York City and State. Please ask for us by name, we will be happy to provide a HHA for your or your family. If you would like some advice or guidance please contact us here
CDPAP FAQ
What is CDPAP
What is the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program or CDPAP for short?
CDPAP is a New York State program that allows Medicaid recipients to take control of and direct how they receive at home personal care. You can hire almost anyone you want, schedule them to assist you on your schedule, train them to your standards, and supervise them to your satisfaction.
Caregivers can provide a wide range of assistance. Common examples are:
- Shopping
- Laundry
- Picking up mediations from the pharmacy
- Administration of medication
- Housekeeping
- Walking
- Dressing
- Eating
- Meal preparations
- Toileting
- Grooming
- Skin care
- Medical equipment
- Transportation (with limitations)
- Skilled nursing tasks
How does CDPAP compare to traditional homecare?
- You, the CDPAP consumer, are the caregiver’s employer. It means that you choose who to hire, how to train them, what their schedule is, how to supervise them and when necessary, to terminate them. It also means that you are responsible to find replacements when your caregiver is not available to work. In traditional homecare the agency is responsible for these tasks.
You, the CDPAP consumer, are the caregiver’s employer. It means that you choose who to hire, how to train them, what their schedule is, how to supervise them and when necessary, to terminate them. It also means that you are responsible to find replacements when your caregiver is not available to work. In traditional homecare the agency is responsible for these tasks.
Caregivers
Anyone as long as they are not your legal spouse, your designated representative, or your parent (if you are under 21).
No. You cannot hire your spouse to be your caregiver.
Generally they can as long as you appoint someone else to be your designated representative. Contact Us for more information.
Yes. The Medicaid rules allow the caregiver to live at the same address as the consumer.
No formal training or certificate is required to be a caregiver.
- PAs need:
- A physical from their doctor
- Tuberculosis testing (PPD skin test or a blood test)
- Tuberculosis questionnaire
- Proof of immunity to Rubella and Rubeola (German measles)
- Proof that they are legal to work in the USA
As many as you need to provide the services that you qualify for. It is always a good idea to hire backup PAs in case your primary caregiver is not available to work.
Hours and Scheduling
The number of hours is determined by your Medicaid Managed Care Plan based on a nurse assessment.
You can schedule your approved hours in any way that works for you and your caregiver.
Caring Assistants Service Area
- Albany
- Erie
- New York
- Putnam
- Suffolk
- Allegany
- Genesee
- Niagara
- Queens
- Sullivan
- Bronx
- Greene
- Ontario
- Rensselaer
- Ulster
- Cattaraugus
- Kings
- Orange
- Richmond
- Wayne
- Cayuga
- Livingston
- Orleans
- Rockland
- Westchester
- Columbia
- Monroe
- Oswego
- Schoharie
- Yates
- Duchess
- Nassau
- Otsego
- Seneca
Eligibility and Enrolment
Yes. Medicaid pays for CDPAP services.
Medicare does not pay for CDPAP. If you have Medicare AND Medicaid, your Medicaid can cover CDPAP.
Caring Assistants can only assist with your CDPAP if you live in New York State.
Payments/Benefits
Up to $18 per hour
PAs are paid weekly or daily depending on what they prefer.
- Generous paid time off and sick pay with no limit how much you can accrue
- Bonuses
- Term life insurance
- Subsidized medical insurance will be coming soon
*Benefits may be subject to eligibility. Contact our team for more information.
Electronic Visit Verification or EVV for short
EVV means the use of an electronic system to verify the services a caregiver provides. The system will record the name of the patient and caregiver, the time and date that the services started and ended, the location of the visit, and the type of service that was provided.
The 21st Century Cures Act requires the use of EVV for CDPAP services. The requirement began in New York State on January 1, 2021.
EVV means that your caregiver will use an electronic system to verify their work. That system typically is a call in and out phone system or a mobile application that allows them to clock in and out.
Yes. You are the employer and you verify your caregiver’s visits before they are paid.
You can find out more by contacting us or by visiting the New York State EVV website NY Medicaid Electronic Visit Verification Program (EVV) or see the New York State EVV Fact Sheet
Private Pay Home Care FAQs
Private Pay Home Care includes both fee for service and payment by Long Term Care Insurance policies.
No. The Geriatric Care Manager can coordinate medical care.
Caring Professionals offers comprehensive live-in and daily care in an array of settings. Our caregivers help you heal and function optimally whether you find yourself in a hospital, a rehabilitation facility, assisted living program, or at home.
Yes we can. You choose the different elements you wish to include in your care plan. We offer a wide variety of care options, including companions, personal care aides, home health aides, licensed practical nurses, therapists, and emergency 24/7 telehealth access to medical professionals. Hospital and inpatient facility companionship is available should they be needed. Hospice care may be provided.
Our concierge services offer access to free Medicaid planning, estate planning, household expense management, personal chef services, transportation, personal shopping, and beauty services. Should you or your loved one require durable medical equipment, we can help source it. Home modifications to suit your or your loved one’s changing needs can be arranged by our Certified Aging in Place Specialist. You or your loved one may also benefit from our recommendations for community programs offered by cultural groups and associations.
At Caring Professionals, all references are scrutinized and criminal checks are conducted. Every member of our team is vetted, screened, skill-tested, and certified or licensed by the NYS Departments of Education and Health. Each professional undergoes a comprehensive orientation and training before starting service for a new patient.
Yes. Caring Professionals Private Pay specialists are adept at understanding usage and guidelines of Long Term Care Insurance policies. They have worked with major carriers for decades. They will advise you as well as explain usage and billing. Contact us here.
Home care is a collaboration between the family and the caregiver. Caring Professionals will find the right match for you and your family. caregivers and companions with cultural sensitivity who match your senior’s language, interests, social and emotional expectations, and medical needs. Caring Professionals understands that collaboration between all stakeholders is the key to the welfare of your senior. We are proud to be part of the team.
Caring Professionals has staff on call 24/7 to deal with changes, emergencies and unforeseen circumstances.
Caring Companions FAQ
The program is open to all people who fled or suffered Nazi persecution. This means not just concentration camp survivors but people who were forced to relocate to other countries during the war years.
No. This specialty program is funded through a variety of sources coordinated by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
Instead of home care, a survivor/his family may choose the other option, which is housekeeping services. Caring Professionals will provide companions who take the survivor shopping, to community events, and to medical appointments, and keep them company. Companions can do light housekeeping, food preparation, and home organization
Yes, we understand the importance of ensuring we speak each others’ language. This is why we work to ensure all our Holocaust Survivors receive home care and housekeeping services from specially trained companions, in their preferred language.
Caring Professionals was founded by a Jewish immigrant from Moscow, she saw a void in care for many of those aging around her. We have been providing home care to the Jewish community for over 25 years.
Caring Companions for Holocaust Survivors provides specialist services, both caregivers and companions. There are often visual and sound memories of trauma that come back to them. Special sensitivities are necessary when assisting a person who has gone through violent experiences. Identifying these triggers and how to help a client respond are addressed.
Working at Caring Professionals FAQ
Our current job openings can be found here. When applying in person you will need an active HHA certificate, a pre-employment physical and labs, a legal form of ID and social security card (no photocopies), and a direct deposit form or voided check.
We offer comprehensive benefits, including medical benefits, paid vacation and union benefits. For a complete list, visit our employment page.
Yes, overtime for home health aides is allowed.
No, at this time we only provide employee training for current Caring Professionals team members.
We have offices in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Woodmere (by appointment only).
Working at Caring Professionals FAQ
Not too much. Both need qualifications from New York State. A Personal Care Assistant (PCA) has a few more days of training than a Home Health Aide (HHA).
Our current job openings can be found here. Our Human Resources Department processes applications and hires. When applying in person you will need (as per New York State regulations) an active HHA or PCA certificate, a pre-employment physical and labs, a legal form of ID and social security card (no photocopies), and a direct deposit form or voided check.
We offer comprehensive benefits, including medical benefits, paid vacation, sick days, a flexible spending account, transportation benefits and union benefits. For a complete list, visit our employment page.
Yes we are hiring HHAs to work throughout New York City and State. Please apply here.
Caring Professionals will always try to minimise the amount of time you need to spend travelling. Our teams contains specialists who with detailed knowledge of the city and its transport system.
You need to be trained by a school that is licensed by the NYS Department of Education or the NYS Department of Health. There are many. Google home health aide training and your zip code to find one close to your home.
No, but we do offer scholarships and arrangements for training at other institutions. Please contact our Human Resources Department for more information.
We have offices in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Westchester and Nassau (by appointment only).
Please read this article written by our team on How do I become a Home Health Aide in New York State?
Expect to become part of the Caring Professionals family, a diverse staff that can service people from all cultures and who speak a variety of languages.