Scheduling
SCHEDULE CHANGES
Whenever you need to make changes to your schedule, please reach out to our administrative team. Our caregivers are not involved in the scheduling process.
We would be glad to help you make the changes needed to best support your well-being and optimize quality of life.
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Never hesitate to get in touch with us - we're here to help!
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You can reach us via phone or text at
(248) 919-8760
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CAREGIVER ASSIGNMENTS
Scheduling and Assignment of Caregivers
Our goal is to provide excellent care to all of our clients and when it is possible through good planning and consistent schedules, we will try to place the same caregivers with the same clients. However, we cannot guarantee that clients will always have the same caregivers. As schedules change (yours and theirs), we must sometimes assign different caregivers to you. Our goal is to provide the level of care that allows all of our clients to live a safe, quality life in their homes. One of the reasons many of our clients hire Comfort Keepers is because we have a staff of competent, loving, well-trained caregivers so our clients will never be without the care they need. Whenever possible, within the limits of scheduling needs, we shall attempt to honor your request for a particular caregiver.
Our office is an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, gender, religion, military status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and/or any other protected status. We cannot and do not make employment or assignment decisions based on these statuses.
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The one exception is that we may deliberately assign a same-gender caregiver when personal care is required, upon client request, as the law provides for this exception.
We always try to make a good match between clients and caregivers, and value the rapport that builds between clients and caregivers. We ask that you remain open to the merits of each caregiver and give them the opportunity to provide services per your customized Plan of Care a few times before you determine they are “not a good fit.” We all need time to get to know each other and for caregivers to understand how you prefer to have things done. Each caregiver is an individual with their own unique demeanor and approach. Please remember that you may feel a connection with one person more than another, and we will try to accommodate preferences whenever possible. However, the purpose of our service is to provide quality, professional care to assist with activities of daily living, and it is important to prioritize assigning caregivers with appropriate skills to meet your needs, based on availability.
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Requesting Caregivers to Extend a Visit
If you require additional hours beyond what you have scheduled through the office, we shall do everything possible to accommodate your needs. Please contact the office for approval to extend the caregiver’s scheduled shift. If the caregiver is unable to extend the shift, the office can work with you to schedule another caregiver whenever possible. It is always best and most convenient for all parties to plan ahead and adjust schedules at least a week in advance. Please note that last-minute shift extensions are subject to our hourly “Scurry Fee,” as outlined in your Client Care Agreement.
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Overtime
Requests will be discussed as such scenarios arise. They will be accommodated if the caregiver is willing to work more than 40 hours, and the client consents to the associated increased rates. Per federal law, overtime must be paid at 1.5 times the hourly pay rate. Overtime will be billed at a rate of 1.5 times the hourly rate for care provided by those on overtime only in cases where Comfort Keepers offers a caregiver not on overtime, but the client specifically requests a certain caregiver, and that requested caregiver is available to work. When such instances occur, overtime will be discussed with you and approved in advance.
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Unforeseen Circumstances
If traffic, severe weather, or another emergent situation interferes with the ability of a caregiver to arrive as scheduled, the Comfort Keepers office will contact you to present alternative arrangements.
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We will endeavor to provide a backup caregiver when feasible. There are occasional situations when care may not be available – in such cases, we will alert you as soon as possible so you can make alternate arrangements or discuss modifications to the schedule.
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In the event of severe weather such as a major snow storm that substantially limits many caregivers’ ability to get to work, we may be forced to cancel services. In these rare cases, we will alert you as soon as possible so you can make alternate arrangements or move your visit to another day.
CANCELLATION OF SCHEDULED VISITS
Our caregivers are professionals – this is their chosen employment and their work schedules are very important to their livelihood. They count on these planned regular hours for their income, and our consistency in scheduling allows us to retain the best caregivers. If you cancel a scheduled visit with your caregiver and we are unable to find other work for him/her, he or she has essentially lost a day’s pay. Accordingly, we ask that wherever possible, you work with us to keep the caregiver’s schedule consistent on a regular basis. If you ask a caregiver to leave prior to the scheduled end of the visit, you will still be responsible for paying for the entire scheduled visit.
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Our caregivers are the heart of our business – they provide the skillful, compassionate, dedicated care you rely on. And they rely on Comfort Keepers to provide them with a work schedule they can plan their lives around, as well as a predictable source of income. If we cannot offer that to our caregivers, we will not be able to maintain the team of exceptional caregivers that care for you – this policy allows us to offer the security of income that caregivers need and deserve.
We take the privilege of caregiving seriously and consider exceptional client care to be paramount. This is a full team effort. Once you choose Comfort Keepers, the entire staff becomes dedicated to your care coordination. By the time your first caregiver sets foot in the home, many hours of preparation for services have already taken place behind the scenes.
Behind the scenes, our Administrative team is working a time-consuming, labor-intensive, client-centered process to meet your needs and optimize quality of life. When you schedule care, we commit to providing care services and dedicate resources to scheduling and training caregiver(s) whose skills, experience, and availability match your needs. , and the efforts of our entire team that works together to ensure that you will have a competent, capable caregiver, knowledgeable about your plan of care, when you need one. Meanwhile, the caregiver is making life plans based on those arrangements and the income associated with them – this includes things like childcare, personal plans, paying their rent or car payment.
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Cancellation Notice Policy
If you need to cancel a visit, we appreciate the courtesy of as much notice as possible. We require at least 3 days (72 hours) notice for any cancellations so others can benefit from the services of our care team.
Within 24 hours, all visits are charged, regardless of reason for cancellation.
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Cancellation of individual care visits requires 72 hours notice. Cancellation with less than 72 hours notice will be charged as scheduled. This includes for circumstances such as not being home, refusing services, refusing a qualified caregiver if your preferred caregiver is not available, unforeseen non-emergent medical issues, visiting family members, or other reasons. Exception: in case of hospitalization or death, services will be charged as scheduled for 24 hours following comfort keepers being notified via phone call or text to our on call staff line: (248) 349-2111.
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Ongoing Reduction in Services
Ongoing reduction in service hours by more than 10% of the level of service scheduled at time of reduction will be subject to a required 14 days’ notice.