Answers to our most common questions
Below you will find answers to our most commonly asked questions. If you still have questions, please reach out and we will do our best to get you an answer.
F.A.Qs
Frequently Asked Questions
Call us, and we will move quickly to set up a new service with you. Required onboarding paperwork is available on this website, under the tab entitled “Onboarding Documents.” However, you must get a password from your community liaison in order to access the documents, which are password protected. Cambridge must have these documents completed and in hand before we can schedule services.
Yes, we will spend time with you to understand your situation and specific care needs, so that we can best meet those needs and match the right caregiver for your engagement.
Once onboarding documents are submitted, our scheduling manager customizes the engagement using the client information. We match care plans, logistics, and personalities to the best of our ability. After this process is complete and the schedule is agreed upon, the engagement can commence.
Typically, a Community Liaison will visit with the family via phone and then schedule a time to meet in person. Over the years, we have learned that meeting a caregiver before an engagement does not offer meaningful insight for the client. While we go to great lengths to match caregivers to our clients’ specific needs, should there be an issue with a particular caregiver, we can pivot and switch out caregivers. We have 200+ caregivers and are confident we have the right caregiver for you!
We generally require at least 24 hours to get a new client properly set up in our system. This allows the scheduling team adequate time to put their matchmaking skills to work.
We use various means such as lockboxes or spare keys to allow our caregivers access to the client’s home when the client is unable to answer the door. If a client has 24/7 care, the caregiver on duty will answer the door when the caregiver for the next shift arrives.
This is up to the client. If the caregivers drive the client’s car, there is no additional charge for gas or mileage. If the caregiver uses their own car, we charge the current standard IRS mileage rate.
At Cambridge Caregivers, a member of our team is available to you 24/7/365. Our Community Liaisons maintain contact with our clients and their families throughout the engagement. They work with the scheduling department to match clients with the appropriate caregiver and to oversee all assignments. They will be in touch with you throughout the duration of service, and you are encouraged to call them on their mobile numbers in the event that you need assistance or have any questions. In addition, we have a quality control manager who oversees all clients and caregivers.
If you wish to make scheduling changes, we encourage you to contact a member of our scheduling team directly at 214-715-6700. While you may check with your caregiver regarding availability, we ask that you do not try to make scheduling changes with the caregivers directly, as they do not have access to our scheduling and billing software and due to logistical considerations are not in control of their own schedules.
We have Caregivers, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) and RNs on staff. In addition to the many hours of training they receive before taking their certification exams, they also receive ongoing training and specialized training from our Director of Nursing. Through our responsive training institute, Manchester Living Institute, we offer continuing education for all caregivers.
Many companies utilize contractors rather than employees to fill caregiving assignments. Frequently, they find people with little or no previous experience in caregiving. All of our caregivers are W2 employees trained by our Director of Nursing, and most have hundreds if not thousands of hours of experience in the field. We offer a full array of benefits, including health insurance, dental and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, PTO, and gas stipends. Our commitment to our caregivers results in unparalleled employee retention and allows Cambridge to staff an engagement when many other companies cannot. We take excellent care of our caregivers so they can take excellent care of you.
Each caregiver goes through a criminal background check, employee misconduct check, Nurse Aide Registry Check, reference check and a thorough, two-part interview process with our Operations and Scheduling Manager as part of the hiring process, as well as annual criminal background checks thereafter. Also, each new hire must complete company orientation and training as well as annual state mandated employment verification. Training is also provided for caregivers who will require specialized skills for an assignment.
Most problems can be corrected with direct communication regarding the issues involved, as well as interventional training when necessary. In those cases where a caregiver is just not a good match, we will simply go back to the drawing board and find a better match. With more than 200 caregivers on staff, we are confident that we can find the perfect match for every client.
The cost of service is based on several factors including condition of the patient and level of care required, location of assignment and any special skills required by caregivers, among other considerations.
The minimum daily requirement is six consecutive hours, and there is no minimum weekly or monthly requirement.
The contract you sign with us simply obligates you to pay for the number of hours a caregiver is with you. It does not commit you to engage Cambridge for a stated term.
Service can be canceled or paused at any time by notifying either scheduling or the Community Liaison assigned to your case. However, when service is canceled or paused less than 24 hours before the onset of a shift, the client will be charged for the entirety of that shift.
We accept Long Term Care Insurance.
Yes, you can use your long term care policy for our services. Cambridge is happy to assist with any necessary paperwork, and we will submit invoices and care notes directly to the insurer if directed by the client. As beneficiary of the policy, the client is paid directly by the insurer and is responsible to Cambridge for all costs incurred with service, regardless of whether there is complete or only partial reimbursement by the insurer. It’s important to note that many long term care providers require a waiting or “elimination” period before the insurer will pay for coverage. We are happy to review your long-term care policy and advise you as to benefits and limitations, or you can call your insurer directly for an explanation of benefits.
By law, caregivers must be paid overtime (1.5x their base pay rate) if they work more than 40 hours/week and when they work on certain holidays. We strive to limit overtime by engaging several caregivers on an engagement, but it is sometimes unavoidable. For engagements where the client wants to avoid accruing overtime charges, there will be several additional caregivers assigned to their case, and there may therefore not be the same degree of continuity of care available with a smaller staff.
While tips and gifts are neither required nor expected, caregivers are permitted to receive appropriate gifts/tips for holidays, special occasions, or at the end of an engagement.
Invoices are generated every other Friday and are sent electronically to the person designated on the onboarding document. Cambridge utilizes the Automated Clearing House (ACH) system to charge our client’s checking account. We will accept a check provided we have a credit card on file as a place holder. Any credit card charge is subject to a 3% fee.
No. The clock starts when the caregiver clocks in (on our internal GPS system). The GPS system will not allow a caregiver to clock in unless they’re within 150 feet of the client’s location.