Penda Senior Home Care

How it works

How home care starts, step by step

Families usually call in the middle of a change: a fall, a hospital discharge, or a parent who can’t manage alone anymore. Here’s what happens from the first call to the first shift, and after that.

Request a free in-home consultation Call (858) 380-9599

Licensing and caregiver screening

  • Licensed Home Care OrganizationCDSS license #374700397

  • Caregivers on the state registryLive Scan fingerprint check (CA DOJ and FBI) and TB test

  • Owned by a registered nurseMildred Kiminyei, RN

Before you call

You don’t need any of this to call. It just makes the first conversation go faster.

  • The address where care is needed, and who else lives there
  • A list of medications, or photos of the pill bottles
  • Names of doctors, and any recent hospital discharge papers
  • What a normal day looks like now, and what has gone wrong
  • The days and hours you think you need help
  • A long-term care insurance policy or VA paperwork, if you have one

Step 1: The first phone call

Call (858) 380-9599 or send the form at the bottom of this page. We’ll ask what’s happening, who needs care, where they live, and when help needs to start.

Ask us anything: rates, schedules, what caregivers can and can’t do. If your parent needs medical care, like wound care or injections, we’ll tell you that home care alone isn’t enough and explain what else to look for.

Step 2: A free consultation at the home

We meet at the home, with your parent there if possible, and with anyone else who helps with care. Family members who live out of town can join by phone. The visit usually covers:

  • How your parent gets through a day: getting up, bathing, meals, medications, and bedtime
  • A walk-through for fall risks: stairs, loose rugs, the bathroom, lighting, and the path to the bathroom at night
  • Health conditions that change how care is given, like dementia, Parkinson’s, diabetes, or a recent surgery
  • What your parent wants, not only what the family wants
  • The schedule, the budget, and how you plan to pay

The consultation is free, and having one doesn’t commit you to anything.

Step 3: A written care plan and service agreement

After the visit, we write a care plan. It lists what the caregiver will do and when, plus the details that make care go well: how your parent likes to be addressed, foods to avoid, the bedtime routine, and signs of trouble to watch for.

The service agreement lists the hourly rate, the schedule, and our billing and cancellation policies. Care starts after you’ve read and signed both. If something in the plan is wrong, tell us and we’ll fix it before the first shift.

Step 4: Matching a caregiver and the first shift

We choose a caregiver for the care needed first. Someone caring for a person with dementia, or helping with a heavy transfer from bed to wheelchair, needs experience with that. Then we look at the schedule, language, personality, and practical things like pets or allergies.

The caregiver reads the care plan before the first shift. After the first few shifts, we call you to ask how it’s going. If the match isn’t working, tell us and we’ll find someone else.

After care starts

If a caregiver is sick

We send a replacement and tell you who is coming. You don’t have to find coverage yourself.

If needs change

After a fall, a hospital stay, or a new diagnosis, call us. We’ll update the care plan and the schedule.

Changing the schedule

Adding or dropping hours is common. Give us as much notice as you can. The notice rules are in your service agreement.

Billing

You’re billed for the hours of care provided, at the rate in your agreement. See our rates and policies.

Questions or problems

Call the office at (858) 380-9599. Office hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Common questions

Do we need a doctor’s order for home care?

No. Non-medical home care doesn’t need a doctor’s order. If you plan to use long-term care insurance, most policies want a plan of care from a doctor or nurse before they pay, so check your policy early.

Does my parent have to agree to home care?

If your parent can make their own decisions, yes, and care goes better when they have a say in it. If your parent has dementia and can’t decide, the person with legal authority to make decisions for them can arrange care.

Is the in-home consultation really free?

Yes. There’s no charge for the consultation, and you don’t have to sign up for care afterward.

What if we don’t like the caregiver?

Tell us. We’ll talk about what isn’t working and send a different caregiver. A good match matters more than keeping the same name on the schedule.

Request a free in-home consultation

Tell us what’s going on and we’ll call you back to talk it through and set up a visit at the home. The consultation is free.

If it’s urgent, call instead of using the form.

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