FAQ

Skilled Medical Care is prescribed by the physician(s) and is the in-home extension of medical care provided in the hospital or other care facility. Skilled medical care is provided by fully trained and licensed medical professionals.

Personal Care Services are life-style support services that do not require specific medical therapies or treatments. Bathing, cooking, transportation, grocery shopping, pet care and light housekeeping, are some examples of Personal Care services.

Determining the differences between the type of care that would be suit your needs can often be confusing. Following are several basic questions and answers that will help sort this out.

Yes. In many cases, when in-home skilled medical care is prescribed by the physician, personal care services will be recommended as well. Our team of skilled-medical professionals and personal caregivers work together to ensure all of our patients needs are met.

First and foremost, it is important that the home health care agency you choose is fully licensed. Pegasus is both a California State licensed and Medicare certified home health agency. In addition, Pegasus is rated in the top 25% of Home Health Care agencies in the United States and has been awarded the prestigious Home Care Elite award from OCS, an independent benchmarking company. Pegasus is also a CAHSAH (California Association for Health Services at Home) certified home care agency which applies to Personal Care Services. CAHSAH is the leading statewide organization which advocates for the development and delivery of the highest quality home care services. Visit www.cahsah.org for more information.

All of the staff at Pegasus undergoes extensive pre-screening prior to hire, including criminal background checks, reference checks from previous employers and professional colleagues as well as a pre-employment health screening evaluation. Each of our staff members is fully insured and bonded.

Since 1994, Pegasus has worked with thousands of patients and ensuring a “good fit” is a priority for us. All of our patients and caregivers meet before the official assignment is made. Health and well-being is not only about the finest medical and personal care but it is also about having a good relationship with the person(s) providing that care. In addition, every attempt to satisfy specific requests for a certain caregiver will be made and, if at some point the patient prefers a change in caregiver, we will implement that request immediately.

Yes, both our skilled medical staff and our personal care staff are under the supervision of the directors of those divisions. All of our staff are in daily communication from the field with their supervisors and, in turn, the supervisors will implement any program changes, etc, deemed necessary. Weekly staff meetings bring everyone together to review patient needs and changes. Supervisory staff will also periodically visit or call to make sure everything is going okay. Should a concern arise, the director of nursing will take care of it. She is ultimately responsible for everything that goes on in the home, and is available 7 days a week.

SKILLED MEDICAL CARE: Medicare, Medicaid, Managed Care, Private Insurance and Private Payors all can pay for Skilled Nursing Services. These services must be ordered by a physician and may only be covered for a specific amount of time or “visits”.

PERSONAL CARE (ADLs) however, is usually only covered by Long Term Care Insurance, Workers Compensation and/or Private pay. Custodial care costs are determined by the type of care needed by each individual client. Please check with your insurance company for your personal care benefit coverage.

In-Home Care is a cost-effective alternative to hospital or residential facility care. With home care, you pay only for the services provided, and receive those services on a one-to-one basis. Costs for Personal Care depend on the amount and type of care provided. If the patient needs only the assistance of a personal caregiver, those costs would be less than that of a RN or LVN.

Answer for Skilled Medical Care: Yes. All in-home medical services require direct orders from the physician and are carried out under their supervision, just as though they were in a medical facility.

Answer for Personal Care: No. In many cases, Personal Care services will be prescribed by your doctor but it is not mandatory. The staff at Pegasus will help you determine the type of personal care services that would best suit your needs.

In-home services, both skilled medical and personal care are available 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This flexibility has proven to avert unnecessary trips to the emergency room. Pegasus does it’s best to accommodate all your scheduling needs.

Answer for Skilled Medical Care: The Pegasus Skilled Medical Professional Team is comprised of Registered and Licensed Vocational Nurses, Physical and Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, Medical Social Workers and Home Health Aides.

Answer for Personal Care: Each of our personal caregivers is thoroughly screened, bonded and insured and is CPR certified. Our Personal Care staff is comprised of Professional Caregivers (PCG), Certified Nurses Aides (CAN) and Certified Home Health Aides (CHHA) so you can be assured you or your loved one is receiving the best care possible. In addition, we require our caregivers to participate in ongoing education and training programs so they are current and knowledgeable in their field of expertise.