Home Care FAQs
Answers to common questions about home care
Find answers about costs, scheduling, services and what to expect. If you don’t see your question here, give us a call. We’re happy to talk it through.
- All
- Caregivers & Day-to-Day Care
- Cost & Coverage
- Getting Started
- Hourly Care
- In-Home Services
- Live-In-Care
- Referral
We serve the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area and communities across Greater Minnesota. Please call to confirm coverage at a specific address.
Baywood provides both medical and non-medical care at home, with services tailored to each person’s needs and care plan. Support may include bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting and continence care, transfers and mobility, medication support and administration, meal preparation, light housekeeping, transportation, companionship and memory care.
For more complex medical needs, our nursing team will review what’s required and determine what Baywood can safely provide at home. We can also coordinate with hospice, therapy and other clinical providers when additional services are part of the care plan.
At Baywood, we match the caregiver, not just send a warm body. Our caregiver matching process takes into consideration things like personality, language, personal interests, hobbies, pet preferences and more. But if the match turns out to not be a good fit, we are happy to work with you to find a better match.
That’s always our goal. We prioritize a small, consistent care team so your loved one sees familiar faces. If a regular caregiver is unavailable, we will send someone who is trained with your loved one’s specific care plan.
Yes. Every Baywood caregiver completes a rigorous screening prior to being hired and trained. This includes completion of a background check, verification of professional licenses and certifications, and an in-person interview prior to being hired. Baywood carries liability coverage and workers’ compensation for our entire staff, and all caregivers are Baywood employees, not independent contractors.
Some home care expenses may qualify as deductible medical expenses, depending on the type of care provided and your loved one’s individual circumstances. Because tax rules and eligibility can vary, we recommend talking with a qualified tax professional. We’re happy to provide itemized statements for your records.
The right choice depends on how much support your loved one needs, what they value most and what works best for your family. For people who need part-time support, hourly home care can often be a more affordable option while allowing them to remain in familiar surroundings. As care needs increase, live-in home care or assisted living may be worth considering.
Home care offers one-on-one attention, familiar surroundings and greater control over daily routines, while assisted living offers a daily schedule, group activities and shared staffing. We can help you talk through the options and determine what makes the most sense for your situation.
Coverage depends on the type of care needed and the payer or plan. We can help you understand what questions to ask and provide documentation when coverage is available.
- Long-term care insurance may cover eligible home care services, including support with personal care and activities of daily living. We can help with the documentation required by your policy.
- Workers’ compensation and auto/no-fault claims may cover medical or attendant care related to an eligible injury. See Workers’ Comp Services for more information.
- Baywood is a private-pay provider and does not bill Medicare, Medical Assistance (Minnesota Medicaid), waiver programs or VA benefits.
Visit our Paying for Home Care page for more information.
The cost of home care depends on the type and level of support your loved one needs, how often care is provided and where they live. Baywood provides both medical and non-medical home care, from help with daily routines and companionship to more complex care needs.
Hourly care is generally billed by the hour, while live-in care is typically billed at a daily rate. During your free consultation, we’ll talk through your needs and provide clear pricing based on the care plan we recommend.
No. Baywood does not require a long-term contract. Hours can increase, decrease or pause as needs change (subject to four-hour shift minimums). We simply ask for reasonable notice whenever possible so we can maintain consistency for your family and our caregivers.
Yes. Hourly care has a minimum shift length of 4 hours two times per week so there is enough time to provide meaningful, unrushed support.
We can often begin care within 24 hours, depending on the schedule, level of care and caregiver match needed. We also work closely with families and healthcare professionals when care is needed quickly following a hospital discharge.
There isn’t one single “right time” for everyone. Many families begin home care after a change, like a fall, hospital stay, new diagnosis or when everyday tasks start to feel overwhelming. Others start earlier, adding support gradually to stay ahead of bigger challenges or a potential accident. Support can begin with just a few hours a week and expand as needs change.
If you’re noticing increased worry, exhaustion or safety concerns, it may be a good time to explore care options. Baywood’s nurse-led approach allows care to evolve over time.
At Baywood, we can start with a free consultation, usually in the home. Then if you want to proceed with services, we sit down with you and your loved one and talk through the day: mornings, meals, medication, mobility, what’s hard, what’s still working. A registered nurse then develops the care plan, turning that conversation into specific tasks, safety notes and preferences.
We then match your loved one with a caregiver(s). Our meticulous caregiver matching process takes into consideration things like personality, language, pet preferences, hobbies and more. Each caregiver is trained on the care plan before care begins.
Yes. We frequently provide one-to-one companionship and supplemental personal care for residents of assisted living, memory care and assisted living facilities. We can also provide one-to-one support during hospital stays, when additional supervision or companionship is needed.
To start, we need the referral source contact information, patient contact information, target discharge date and urgency. To staff, we require diagnoses and functional status, mobility and cognitive status, medication needs, home address, family contact, and payer source. A Baywood RN will complete the full assessment, so you don’t need to have every answer.
In most situations, we can begin care within 24 hours of referral, and same-day placement is often possible, when caregiver capacity allows. For same-day needs, call the referral line rather than using the form.
Home care is often appropriate when:
- The patient is medically stable.
- The patient needs skilled nursing and/or supervision and assistance with activities of daily living.
- The home is safe or can be made safe.
- The patient strongly prefers home.
- 24-hour coverage can be arranged, if required.
An assisted living/nursing home facility is usually the safer choice when:
- The patient requires more intensive rehab.
- The home cannot be made safe.
- There is no way to cover overnight risk.
- The patient requires equipment and monitoring the home cannot support.
When deciding between home care and assisted living, live-in care is the option most often overlooked. It provides continuous presence at a flat daily rate that frequently compares favorably to facility pricing, especially for couples.
Consider a home care referral when a patient is medically ready to discharge, but not functionally ready to be alone. Practical triggers:
- Lives alone, or the family caregiver works full-time or is already exhausted
- New mobility limitation, activity restriction or assistive device
- Two or more activities of daily living deficits at discharge
- Cognitive impairment affecting medication adherence or safety
- Prior fall in the last 6 months, or an admission that followed a fall
- Readmission history, or a complex new medication regimen
- A need for supervision, personal care, meal preparation, transportation or household support
Respite care is temporary, scheduled support that gives family caregivers time to rest, recharge or step away when needed. It can be a few hours each week or longer-term support while you travel, with a two-week minimum service commitment. For many families, respite care is an important part of making care at home work well over time.
That’s always our goal. We prioritize a small, consistent care team so your loved one sees familiar faces. If a regular caregiver is unavailable, we will send someone who is trained with your loved one’s specific care plan.
Yes. Your schedule can adjust as needs change. We simply ask for reasonable notice whenever possible so we can maintain consistency for both your family and your caregivers. There’s no long-term contract.
Live-in typically means one caregiver lives in the home, with scheduled breaks and a designated sleep period. With 24-hour awake care, caregivers rotate in shifts so someone is awake and available at all times. If your loved one needs frequent support throughout the night, 24-hour awake care may be the better fit.
A Baywood nurse will assess your loved one’s routines, mobility, cognitive needs, nighttime assistance and safety concerns. Based on that assessment, we will recommend live-in care, 24-hour awake care or another service arrangement.
It can be, especially for couples who both need support. The cost depends on the level of care needed, the live-in daily rate and the type of residential care being considered. We can help you understand the options and compare what makes the most sense for your family.
Live-in care requires a private bedroom for the caregiver, basic household groceries and a safe home environment. Before care begins, a Baywood nurse will assess the home and recommend any changes that may help improve safety, such as grab bars, better lighting or removing trip hazards.
Yes, live-in care and hospice can work together to help someone remain comfortable at home. Hospice provides specialized clinical and comfort care, while the Baywood caregiver provides ongoing day-to-day support and presence between hospice visits.
Give us a call. Our team is available 24/7, and we can reassess what’s needed, update the care plan and adjust the schedule as quickly as possible.
Yes. Baywood serves adults of all ages, including people living with physical or developmental disabilities and those recovering from workplace or auto injuries. Care is always tailored to the individual, their needs and their goals.
Absolutely. Many families start with just a few hours of care and add more support as needs change. It can be a comfortable way to ease into care, get to know your caregiver and build from there.
Baywood provides a blend of both medical and non-medical care services. Our RN-managed care model bridges daily personal assistance with higher-level nursing support as needed.
Many home care providers focus primarily on companionship. Baywood delivers RN-led care that supports both medical and daily living needs, including medication support, bathing and transfers, memory care, and more—along with meaningful companionship. Our nurse-led approach allows families to receive higher-level care at home, with consistency, oversight and compassion.
