Q: How long has SonBlest Elder Care been in business?
A: SonBlest Elder Care has been providing services in Southern Indiana since 1991, longer than any other non-medical caregiver agency. SonBlest has been a member of the Better Business Bureau since 1993 and is listed as one of the area’s largest non-medical agencies by Business First Magazine (March 29, 2024). We were also voted best Clark County home healthcare agency by News and Tribune's 2022 Reader's Choice. SonBlest is a licensed personal services agency. We have a good reputation in this business and we intend to keep it that way. Referrals from satisfied customers are our best source of new customers. We will always remember that.
Q: What are the benefits of doing business with a company that is locally owned and operated?
A: SonBlest Elder Care is not a franchise or a national corporation. If you have a question, concern, problem, or complaint the buck stops here. We handle all of these things locally as fast as possible. Also, since SonBlest does not have to pay franchise fees, our rates are usually lower than our competition.
Q: What are the advantages of using SonBlest Elder Care as opposed to finding our own caregivers?
A: SonBlest has already done the leg work for you in finding qualified, experienced, honest, dependable, and caring workers. In addition, if your own worker should quit, call in sick, or you have a problem with them then you are stuck while SonBlest can usually send another qualified individual. It's a good idea to keep a notebook at the home describing the daily routine, the do's, and the do not's for the caregivers to follow. For consistency in care SonBlest tries our very best to use the same caregivers at each client instead of rotating different ones in and out as some other companies do. By doing this it is actually easier on the client, the workers, and on us. Also, by using SonBlest you may be eligible for insurance reimbursements and tax write offs.
Because we have a lot of time and money invested in our workers we do have them under contract and they are not allowed to do any work for you unless it is through SonBlest.
Q: Do you check out the caregivers you use before assigning them to jobs?A:
Yes. All caregivers are carefully screened before being sent to their first job and are bonded. We get both state and national background checks on them to insure we have the highest quality caregivers. We take this very seriously and do not use any caregivers we are not comfortable with. Caregivers are also tested for their knowledge and skills.
Q: During what hours do you provide caregiver service?
A: SonBlest provides service up to 24 hours per day, every day of the year. We do have a three hour per visit minimum in Clarksville, Jeffersonville, & New Albany (higher outside of these areas). You decide on the days and shifts needed and we match the caregiver to your needs. SonBlest also provides service on all holidays if needed. We do charge double time during the entire 24 hour period of the following eight holidays: Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Please let the office know ahead of time if you would like regular service or want to change or cancel your service on these holidays.
Q: Can the caregivers run errands for us or take us places?
A: Yes, but please make sure you let us know this before starting service so that we can match you with a caregiver who is able to do this for you. SonBlest does not nickel and dime you for every mile that the caregivers drive as other companies do but we do ask that you reimburse the workers for the cost of their gas, parking, or toll charges when they use their own vehicles. This is actually much cheaper for you than charging for every mile. If going out for lunch, dinner, or other events Client is expected to pay the worker’s way.
Q: What if we have a problem after office hours?
A: You can contact SonBlest Elder Care at any time. Our office hours are normally between
9AM-3PM Monday through Friday but someone on our staff is always available to help you at any hour at (812) 283-7015.
Q: Can you provide service in facilities such as assisted-living, nursing homes, or hospitals?
A: SonBlest has provided service in many facilities. Please keep in mind that SonBlest and the caregivers we use are non-medical. We do not wish to step on the toes of the skilled caregivers, merely provide the one on one non-medical care that these places just aren’t staffed to do.
Q: Can the caregivers you send provide any skilled medical care at all?
A: No. SonBlest is not licensed to do skilled medical care. Our mission is to keep our clients in their own homes for as long as possible by providing the non-medical personal care and light housekeeping duties that most skilled care agencies don’t or can’t. Generally, skilled medical caregivers come to the home for only about one hour, just a few times per week for skilled care only while SonBlest can provide non-medical care up to 24/7.
Q: What about prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, and herbs?A:
The caregivers are not allowed to touch the original prescription bottles or containers. Either the client or a representative of the client must presort all medications into an approved weekly or monthly pill box container and the caregiver will help or remind the client to take them. Either the client or a representative of the client is responsible for obtaining or refilling any prescription medications. For safety the client's doctors should be aware of all OTC meds, vitamins, and herbs the client is taking.
Q: How much is your service?
A: Our rates are mostly determined by how many hours per week you use but other factors are also considered. The more hours you use the easier it is to give discounted rates. There is a tab on this website containing our price guidelines. If not please call our office for prices or go to sonblesteldercare.com. Our rates are very reasonable and in most cases they are less expensive than our competitors, since we are a local company and don’t have to pay any franchise fees. By billing weekly we are also able to maintain a better cash flow and pass these savings on to you as well. In some cases our services MAY be tax deductible or MAY be eligible for reimbursements from your long term care insurance company. Please consult with your accountant and/or insurance agent.
Q: Do you accept Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance or long-term care insurance?
A: Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurances often do not cover the types of services you need and by accepting private pay only we can offer cheaper rates than other companies. Some of our clients do get reimbursed for part or all of our services through certain long term care insurance policies. All companies and policies are different so you would have to check with them to see if reimbursement is possible. By being private pay only we eliminate the extra costs associated with billing insurance companies, allowing us to pass these savings on to you through less expensive rates. It may actually be cheaper for you to use our lower rates and get reimbursed rather than using another company’s higher rates. Please let the office know if you need any additional information on the billing in order to get reimbursed. We do not bill insurances directly but we will help you in any way that we can. We do bill weekly and need to get paid weekly in order to keep our rates low.
Q: Does SonBlest Elder Care charge a deposit for service?
A: No, nor do we ask you to sign an agreement automatically deducting our bill from your bank account as other companies do. At SonBlest Elder Care we feel that if you can put your trust in using our service we can put our trust in you to pay for the service. To help keep our rates low we do not accept charge cards.
Q: Do we have to meet with SonBlest Elder Care first before beginning service?
A: No. SonBlest does not have you sign a contract or have you put down a service deposit or have you sign an agreement authorizing funds to be automatically withdrawn from your bank account. We also do not believe in giving you a big sales pitch. We do very well on our reputation alone. Other companies figure that if they can get their foot in your door they can pressure you into signing a contract and putting down a deposit. Most of our business is conducted over the phone. If you feel more comfortable with a face to face meeting we can either come out to see you or you can visit us at our office. The choice is yours. State regulations do require both SonBlest and our clients to sign a Service Plan agreement detailing what services you want SonBlest to provide.
Q: How much notice do we need to give you before starting, changing or canceling service?
A: It helps to have as much notice as you can but we realize this isn’t always possible. We can often handle all kinds of situations on short notice. You can change or cancel service at any time with a 24 hour notice but please remember that changes in hours used may move you into to a higher or lower rate tier. SonBlest does not try to impose Christian beliefs on our clients but we do run our business with Christian values. Thank you for considering us.
"I am thankful for your company and the people that work for you. They were always there with a listening ear, a caring heart, and a healing hug." - Debbie K.
