Homecare FAQ's
We realise that arranging homecare for yourself or your loved one is a big step and that you’ll have lots of questions. Below we have tried to answer the most commonly asked questions, but please feel free to call us if you’d like to discuss any aspect of homecare.
All our carers must have proven caring experience in either a private or professional environment. We check references to validate caring experience. All carers are Garda vetted and must have an up-to-date People Handling Certificate. Fluent English and a valid working visa are also a requirement. We encourage all our carers to work towards QQI Level 5 and many of our carers already have this. We provide training for QQI Modules 1 and 2 for new starters without this. All Heritage Carers are also issued with a Carer Handbook outlining all of all our policies and procedures that must be adhered to.
Our carers are not permitted to administer medication as they are not medically qualified. They can however, prompt and supervise clients with routine medications that need to be taken. These details are built into each individual client care plan and overseen by the Care Managers.
Yes. Unfortunately Alzheimer’s / Dementia are on the increase in Ireland and we have many carers with additional qualifications and experience in this area. We also offer additional training and support to carers as they commence their visits to clients with dementia, as each client will have individual needs and challenges.
Yes, our Care Managers are either Registered Nurses, or have Post Graduate Social Care Qualifications. Our services have always been clinically led by Qualified Nurses and we value this as an essential component of our professional services. The delivery of care however is carried out by carers who are working in a non-medical capacity.
We understand that you deserve reassurance that the care that has been arranged is being delivered, that’s why we have a two-tier system to safeguard Quality Assurance.
Geo tracking is a newly introduced App based tracking system that allows us to monitor all carer visits to clients in real time. With Geo tracking the carer can only log on to their visit when they are physically present at a clients home, and the time that they start and finish the visit is visible and recorded. While we have an excellent track record with our carers being honest and professional, Geo tracking provides us with an addition means to check that all visits are carried out as planned. This is of particular value for very vulnerable clients who have no local family members and may have no means to communicate their needs directly.
Additionally, we have Quality Visits to clients homes every three months, by arrangement, whereby all elements of their service are discussed. In carrying out these visits we can tweak minor issues and prevent them from becoming problematic, and keep in regular contact with our clients, the carers in the field and family members. For visiting family members the Care Plan in the Care Journal is kept up to date so you can see at any time what Care is being delivered.
We charge based on time (hours, days or nights care) delivered. We issue invoices twice a month retrospectively, for hours delivered. We can also subtract the value of HSE hours from the cost of private hours where appropriate. For all HSE hours there is no charge to clients and we manage the payments directly with the HSE. For private hours we request 24 hours’ notice for planned cancellations and do not charge for short term cancellations due to illness or hospitalisation.
We do not have a minimum booking period and can offer part time hours and temporary hours agreed in advance. For the duration of care visits we find that care visits of less than 60 minutes are not practical and therefore only offer them privately when they are added on to an existing visit. We may sometime advise prospective new clients about how best to structure their care schedules to ensure the best continuity of care, and the smallest possible team of carers. However client choice is always at the forefront of all decisions made.
Yes, in your own home setting it is extremely important that clients are comfortable with their carer. This applies to both HSE and privately funded services. We welcome feedback, and while sometimes there can be early teething problems and a period required to adjust to allowing homecare to settle, we will honour requests to change a carer at any time. Fortunately, with our expertise in matching clients and carers this does not happen often, and it is in everyone’s interest to get the best possible match at the onset.
We pride ourselves on being a local service, and we have a very responsive and accessible team of professionals in both offices. For new enquiries and to gather information our Care Managers and Client Services Manager would be delighted to speak with you at any time. We get to know all of our clients by name and we can respond to each one’s needs as required. We also like to use of email as a convenient way to share information that you may want to share and save for future reference.
We are focused on serving South Dublin very well. The areas that we serve most frequently include Dun Laoghaire, Glasthule, Sandycove, Dalkey, Killiney, Shankill, Cabinteely, Foxrock, Deans Grange, Monkstown, Blackrock, Donnybrook, Stillorgan, Dundrum, Sandyford, Churchtown. Ballinteer, Templeogue, Terenure, Ranelagh and Rathmines. This list is not exhaustive.
