Frequently asked questions

Non-medical home care is help with the everyday tasks of living so an older adult or an adult with a disability can stay safely in their own home. It covers personal care such as bathing, dressing and grooming; companionship; meal preparation; light housekeeping and laundry; medication reminders; transportation and errands; supervision for someone with dementia; and respite for a family caregiver.

The care Selectives provides here is not skilled nursing or medical treatment. Caregivers do not give injections, change sterile dressings, or make clinical decisions. When those things are needed, Selectives will tell you and help you find a home-health agency, therapy or hospice, and can continue the day-to-day support alongside that clinical care.

The first call takes about fifteen minutes. You don’t need paperwork or a diagnosis — just tell a care coordinator what’s happening: who the care is for, what the day looks like now, what’s changed, and how soon help is needed. Nothing is decided on that call and nothing is charged.

If it sounds like we can help, we arrange a free in-home consultation. If your situation really needs skilled medical care, we’ll say so and point you in the right direction. You can also start online and a coordinator will call you back.

Yes. The first phone call and the in-home consultation cost nothing and commit you to nothing. The consultation takes about an hour, covers what help would look like and roughly what it would cost, and includes a walk-through of the home for fall risks. You only pay once care has been agreed and has started.

Care usually begins within one or two days. Same-day care may be possible for urgent needs, including hospital discharge, depending on caregiver availability and the assessment.

Selectives Home Care serves families across multiple Maryland counties, including Baltimore City and Baltimore, Montgomery, Howard and Prince George’s counties, from an office at 1301 York Rd, Suite 800, Lutherville, MD 21093. Towns served include Baltimore, Towson, Lutherville-Timonium, Columbia, Ellicott City, Silver Spring, Rockville and Bowie. Service availability may vary by location, so contact our care team to confirm availability in your community. See all service areas.

Personal care (bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, safe transfers); companion care; respite care for family caregivers; dementia and Alzheimer’s care; medication reminders; meal preparation; mealtime feeding assistance; light housekeeping and laundry; transportation to appointments and errands; grocery shopping and errands; and in-home support for adults with developmental disabilities. See what each service includes.

Caregivers provide medication reminders only. They do not prepare doses, fill pill organizers or administer medication. If you need medication administration, contact an appropriate healthcare provider.

Yes — longer shifts, overnight care and live-in arrangements are available as part of a care plan. For overnight care we’ll discuss whether you need an awake caregiver or one who sleeps and is available if needed. Evening, overnight and live-in care are currently charged at the same rate as daytime care.

Yes. We offer one-on-one non-medical care for people living in senior living communities. We discuss the resident’s needs and the community’s arrangements before starting care.

Yes. Needs change, and the care plan changes with them — tell your coordinator and we update the plan and the schedule with your agreement. Notice periods for visits and for the care agreement are covered under Scheduling & day-to-day.

Pricing is provided after a nurse evaluates your needs. Visits have a five-hour minimum, with no minimum weekly hours. There is currently no additional rate for evening, overnight or live-in care.

Medicare does not generally pay for non-medical home care — help with bathing, meals, companionship or housekeeping on an ongoing basis. Medicare does cover short-term skilled home health care (nursing and therapy) when a doctor orders it and the person is homebound. Some Medicare Advantage plans now offer limited in-home support benefits; check your specific plan.

Private pay is our primary focus, and we also work with long-term care insurance and Veterans benefits. Selectives also participates as a Maryland Medicaid provider under the Community Options Program; Medicaid services are subject to eligibility, authorization, program requirements, service availability and other applicable requirements. Contact our care team to discuss your needs and available options.

Yes. Selectives Home Care works with families seeking private-pay home care, allowing care arrangements to be tailored around individual needs, schedules, and preferences.

Yes. Selectives Home Care is a Maryland Medicaid provider participating under the Community Options Program. Medicaid services are subject to eligibility, authorization, program requirements, and service availability. Contact our team to discuss your situation and available options.

Invoices are issued weekly or every two weeks, as agreed. We accept checks and bank transfers. No deposit or card on file is required.

Before assignment, caregivers complete criminal background and fingerprint checks, employment/reference checks, TB/health screening, an in-person interview, a skills assessment and a driving-record check. Annual repeat background checks are planned.

Caregivers currently work with Selectives as independent contractors. Selectives coordinates their screening, training, care plans and scheduling.

We aim for consistency and keep your team small, so your loved one sees familiar people rather than a rota of strangers. When your regular caregiver is on leave or unwell, a caregiver briefed on the care plan covers the visit, and we tell you in advance whenever possible.

Tell the care coordinator and we’ll assign someone else. You don’t need to explain yourself or raise it with the caregiver directly. Getting the personal match right matters more to us than getting it right the first time.

Our caregiving team speaks English and Spanish. Tell us your preferred language when arranging care.

Caregivers complete four hours of orientation and receive ongoing training every six months. Those supporting people with dementia receive additional dementia-specific training.

Care agreements run for a minimum of three months, with two weeks’ notice required to cancel the agreement. Visits have a five-hour minimum and no weekly minimum. Please give 24 hours’ notice to change or cancel a visit; there is no late cancellation fee.

Call the office. You can add visits, change times or adjust hours — 24 hours’ notice is required and we do our best with less. Changes to the plan of care are confirmed with you and written down.

Call 443-847-4057 at any time: the owner answers the same number 24/7 for new inquiries and urgent care concerns, including a caregiver not arriving. We aim to respond to new inquiries immediately, including after hours. In a medical emergency, call 911 first.

Schedules are normally planned one to two weeks ahead, so a regular pattern of visits is set well in advance.

A caregiver who has been briefed on your care plan covers the visit, and we let you know in advance whenever possible. Because the plan is written down, cover care follows the same routine.

Your coordinator reviews the care plan as needs change. Call us whenever you have a concern or would like a home visit; we will agree the follow-up arrangements with you.