Intro
We are glad you are visiting with us.
Good People offers a solution for individuals in need of 24-hour care - we are a referral agency selecting and placing live-in caregivers.
But our clients say we provide peace of mind.
The first placement is often a beginning to a long-term working relationship. We work hard to make that relationship a wonderful experience for everybody involved: the care recipients, their families, and the caregivers. Give us a call and ask for references.
Before you do, please, read more about us and the caregivers we place. If you believe we could have an answer to your home care situation, call us or send us an e-mail. We will learn your needs and find the caregiver you are looking for.
Martin Fencl
Justyna Palka
Raivi Kisielis
Care
Good People will match any need. It can be a companionship, it can be a temporary help to recover from a stroke or a hip fracture, or it can be taking care of terminally ill person. Our caregivers are attending patients with Alzheimer's disease, dementia, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, brain injuries, emphysema, cancer and other illnesses. We also work closely with Hospices.
Caregiver lives in the home of the care receiver and is ready to help 24 hours a day!
Caregiver's responsibilities consist of:
- Personal care - caregivers help with ambulation, transfers, repositioning, bathing, toileting, daily exercises, getting up at night, dressing, feeding, coordinating doctor, therapist and other appointments & providing escort (where car is available), administering/monitoring medications, oxygen, fluid regime, special diet, and other personal care related tasks ...
- House making - cooking, serving the meals, doing the dishes, laundry, dusting, vacuuming, mopping the floors, watering the plants, walking the dog or cleaning the cat litter, grocery shopping, paying the bills, and other daily chores around the house ...
- Companionship - chatting, personal shopping, assisting in telephone calls, eating meals together, playing cards, reading papers, watching movies, sorting mail, sending postcards, and other "little" pleasures add to care receiver's overall health and happiness. Mental and physical stimulation are essential for success of the placement.
Naturally, live-in caregivers become part of a family. They create safe and comfortable atmosphere filled with dignity and compassion.
Responsibilities and activities mentioned above are to illustrate what you can realistically expect. Every care receiver, however, is different and has individual needs and wants. The service is flexible and we will exact the level of help during our evaluation and assessment interview. And also, caregivers apply their common sense and feel for the situation.
Live-in caregivers need time off during the day to relax. They need at least an hour in the morning and in the afternoon, or a workable equivalent. Caregivers like to go for a walk, to gym, swimming or jogging. Good time for these breaks are care receiver's naps or visits. If the care receiver plans on having a longer visit, let the caregiver go to a library or to see a movie. With a regular time off and away from the job, your caregiver will be a much better provider of care.
Caregivers
Because the caregiver and the care receiver live together 24 hours a day, the caregiver's skills and personal qualities are extremely important. We keep that in mind at all times. The caregivers we select are experienced, compassionate, and hardworking people with stable personalities and cheerful, positive outlooks. You or your loved one will feel safe and comfortable. Our screening and selection process ensures that.
Live-in caregivers comprise various nationalities, including Eastern & Central European countries, Asia and Canada. About 10% are Americans. All caregivers we work with live in the United States and speak English. Caregivers are either US citizens or have green cards or visas with work permits.
Good People selects only caregivers with the appropriate level of skills and experience in the care giving field. Their backgrounds vary. Most are college graduates with different interests and talents. Many have medical backgrounds from their home countries (we have placed medical students, interns or foreign licensed medical doctors, nurses and physical therapists). Caregivers provide level of care that a family member can provide: administer medication, catheter, ostomy bag, trache tube, feeding tube, insulin (including sliding scale), hoyer-lift, etc. to name a few.
Ages of caregivers range from early twenties to late fifties. We place both women and men as caregivers. Based on your preferences, we find the caregiver you are looking for.
We work with good people.
Procedure
Our first step is an evaluation and assessment interview, which we will schedule at your convenience. There is no obligation and it is free of any charge. We want to avoid surprises by knowing as much as possible about the care recipients' home care situation, needs, wants, personality, habits, routines, likes and dislikes.
The more detailed - assignment relevant - information we have, the better chances we have to make a good match, to achieve a stable, lasting placement.
After the evaluation and assessment interview we will agree on the caregiver's salary (see Cost page for more information). If you wish to start using our resources, the care recipient pays one-time finder's fee to Good People. The payment of the fee is a signal for us to start working on the case.
We will ask for seven days (and more, depending upon the care recipient's location) to select a caregiver who will match the care recipient's individual needs and personality. Once the caregiver is chosen, we will set up a placement date and begin!
If the care recipient is going to be discharged from a hospital, rehabilitation center, nursing home or any other facility, we can help to synchronize the release and the placement with you and the third party's representative in charge. We work closely with case managers, discharge planners, social workers, or hospice workers, to make sure the transition is smooth.
Caregivers must have their own bedroom and are guaranteed every other weekend off for two days. This is essential to avoid caregiver's burn out. We encourage the family to share in the care during caregiver's days off. Substitutes, if necessary, are available (at the moment in the area of SE Wisconsin and NE Illinois only).
Caregivers are not Good People's employees. They work directly for the care receivers. Good People is a finder agency. To ensure that placement is the right match and a quality care is delivered, we stay in close contact with our clients and their families after each placement we make.
If a situation arises when a replacement is needed, you will simply let us know, and we will start looking for a new caregiver.
We want every assignment to be a success. Good word of mouth is our mighty ally. Thus, our communication is important. We strongly encourage our clients to call us with any concerns or questions. This way we can prevent serious complications, such as caregiver's burnout, from happening.
Service area
Area serviced by Good People is limited to the United States.
The evaluation and assessment interview usually takes about 40 - 60 minutes.
Cost
Two types of expenses go into your total cost for live-in care: one-time and continuous.
1. One-time
expense:
1.1 initial finder's fee in the amount of $850. It is paid once, to Good People, at the beginning of our service.
1.2 terminal severance pay in the amount of 14 days salary (8 days in some locales for assignments anticipated to be short-term). It is paid once, to your caregiver (in rare circumstances to Good People, please contact us for details), at the end of our service.
2. Continuous
expense: compensation of your caregiver(s), paid to your caregiver(s)
2.1 room - this part of total cost seldom represents an extra expense, but items such as recipient's property taxes or rent should be accounted for when comparing care solutions.
2.2 board - common foods and fluids. Caregiver's diet may differ from the care recipients' diet; a grocery shopping budget for the caregiver's board expense is a frequent solution.
2.3 salary - typically somewhere from $230 to $280 per day, take home money. We will agree on a specific amount after our evaluation and assessment interview (see Procedure). The salary depends upon the situation; care recepients' needs, preferences, location, and caregiver availability.
Caregivers are guaranteed two days off every other weekend. Some caregivers take full advantage of their time off, some stay on the job longer. Where family cannot fill-in during the caregiver's days off, additional cost to the care recipients may arise as it may be necessary to pay for substitute, which often costs more than your live-in caregiver.
Contact us
Telephone 800-608-8003
e-mail [email protected]
La Crosse Office
Good People LLC
W1094 State Road 33
Bangor WI 54614
local tel: 608-223-0073
email:
[email protected]
Good People LLC
2409 White Oak Trail
Oregon WI 53575
local tel: 608-609-1620
email:
[email protected]
Good People LLC
1029 N Jackson St #1209
Milwaukee WI 53202
local tel: 414-759-7482
email:
[email protected]