Why should I offer an eldercare benefit to my employees?
Q: Doesn’t my Employee Assistance Program already provide senior care services?
A: Traditional Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are good for information and referrals, but they’re often unable to address the challenges of aging on a personalized basis. And they only provide assistance for a broad range of issues, without any real focus on individual circumstances. My Health Care Manager’s Eldercare offers a more comprehensive solution, providing meaningful senior care guidance based on greater knowledge and experience.
Q: Can anyone use My Health Care Manager?
A: Typically, My Health Care Manager provides services for caregivers and their senior loved ones. This generally includes parents, grandparents, spouses, aunts, uncles and other senior loved ones who are 65 and older. However, we consider exceptions based on individual circumstances.
Q: Some of my employees don’t have aging parents or relatives. Is My Health Care Manager’s Eldercare still the right choice for us?
A: Yes. The needs of employee populations change, and different subsets of your employee population may be dealing with caregiving issues at different points in time. Some employees may be current caregivers, while others can benefit from Eldercare-provided education that allows them to proactively plan for the future. The value you receive by helping your working caregivers greatly outweighs the cost of the program. Visit the free online calculator to determine your return on investment based on the number of employees.
What does My Health Care Manager’s eldercare benefit provide?
Q: What is a Fact Finding Consultation?
A: My Health Care Manager’s Fact Finding Consultation connects employees with a Care Manager, to discuss individual caregiving situations. Employees can share concerns, ask questions, and pinpoint the issues they would like to address.
After an initial call, the Care Manager develops an Issues & Options Report to discuss on a follow-up call. The Issues & Options Report prioritizes existing issues, identifies additional areas of concern, and presents caregiving recommendations. After discussing the report, employees and Care Managers work together to determine the right next steps.
Q: What is an In-home Assessment?
A: During an In-home Assessment, a professional Care Manager visits your senior loved one anywhere in the U.S. to perform a holistic assessment in the comfort of their home. The Care Manager will evaluate the senior’s:
- Safety
- Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being
- Unmet needs
- Cognition
Based on needs identified in the In-home Assessment, the Care Manager develops a Recommendations Summary and Care Plan for you and your family. An ongoing relationship with the Care Manager allows you to discuss plans and receive coaching during Care Plan implementation.
Q: Do Care Managers provide clinical care?
A: No, they do not provide hands-on clinical care. Their experience and specialized knowledge allows them to create personalized, holistic care plans based on caregivers’ individual situations and needs. Care Managers also use SCANS®, My Health Care Manager’s proprietary senior care decision support and knowledge management software, to help them develop Care Plans for seniors and their caregivers.
Q: How is My Health Care Manager different from doctors and health care providers already involved in a senior’s care?
A: My Health Care Manager does not provide hands-on clinical care. Care Managers approach senior care holistically, pairing Care Managers with working caregivers to provide education and coaching during senior care management. This approach allows caregivers to be informed advocates for their senior loved ones. Care Managers do not focus on diagnosing specific health issues, but instead seek to improve seniors and caregivers’ overall well-being.
For example, health care provider appointments often last only 15 minutes. It can be difficult to absorb all of the information and guidance physicians provide in that amount of time. Care Managers educate caregivers on how to make the most of each provider visit, including understanding which questions to ask and how to prepare for appointments. Counsel is also provided on what to do after an appointment, helping caregivers make lifestyle changes so that seniors are compliant with providers’ treatment plans.
Q: How do you handle confidentiality?
A: My Health Care Manager maintains the confidentiality and your privacy. All information relating to an employee’s family health condition(s) will be protected as confidential information, and will not be disclosed by My Health Care Manager to any outside party. My Health Care Manager will obtain written permission from you and/or family member receiving assistance (or his or her legal representative) to allow that person’s private health information to be shared with My Health Care Manager and other designated persons in accordance with provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Q: Do you follow HIPAA guidelines?
A: My Health Care Manager follows HIPAA guidelines to ensure that all client data remains private. My Health Care Manager will not release the identities of the employees using the Eldercare benefit.
Q: Will I receive employee utilization reports with the Eldercare benefit?
A: Yes. You will receive quarterly utilization reports and satisfaction survey results.
Q: If employees have questions about Eldercare services, can they contact their Care Manager for help?
A: Yes. Care Managers are typically available from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM EST to answer questions and re-assess issues as family situations change. Care Managers can also make themselves available after hours by employee request. Employees can also call our Customer Care Representatives at 800-970-7131 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to ask questions about Eldercare and schedule appointments with a Health Care Manager.
Q: How much does a Standard or Enhanced plan cost?
A: Call us at 800-499-8020 or email [email protected] for an Eldercare benefit quote.
Q: Can employees continue service with My Health Care Manager after using all of their employer-covered services?
A: Yes. For a discounted hourly rate, employees can continue to use My Health Care Manager’s services even after they have used all of the services covered by their employer.
Q: What is the discounted hourly rate for the extended services of the Eldercare plan?
A: Call us at 800-499-8020 or email [email protected] for the discounted hourly rate for Eldercare’s extended services.
Is it easy to implement?
Q: Can all employees receive this benefit, or is it limited to the employees enrolled in our company health plan? What about part-time employees?
A: The Eldercare benefit is not tied to a health plan, so you can offer it to all or any subset of your employees. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide who is eligible for the Eldercare benefit.
Q: Can we offer this benefit to our retirees?
A: Yes. You may decide who is eligible for the Eldercare benefit. Retirees may use Eldercare for themselves or their senior loved ones.
Q: What type of communications material does My Health Care Manager provide to help introduce the Eldercare benefit to my employees?
A: My Health Care Manager provides: • Messaging materials for your internal launch • Eldercare resources for your employees • Access to our Eldercare website • Single point of contact account manager who is available to help you throughout implementation and ongoing program management
Q: Does My Health Care Manager offer employee education at functions such as benefits fairs, lunch-and-learns or seminars?
A: Your account manager will work with you to determine the best forms of employee education based on your company’s needs and communication preferences.
How do I get started?
Q: Do I have to wait for my annual benefits renewal period to enroll in My Health Care Manager’s Eldercare?
A: No. You can enroll in My Health Care Manager’s Eldercare anytime of the year.
Q: Who do I contact to get started?
A: Call us at 800-499-8020 or email [email protected]