Frequently Asked Questions

Non-medical home care is in-home support with the activities of daily living — bathing, dressing, grooming, meals, light housekeeping, medication reminders, companionship, and transportation. It does not include skilled nursing tasks like wound care, injections, or IV therapy. If those are needed, we can help coordinate with a home health agency that provides them.

Every caregiver at CVHC is background-checked through the Wisconsin caregiver background check system, trained through our onboarding program, and supervised by a care coordinator. We're licensed, insured, and bonded.

Yes. Once we've matched you with a caregiver you like, we do our best to keep that person on your schedule consistently. When your primary caregiver is sick or on vacation, we'll notify you in advance and provide backup coverage.

Matching is an art, not a science. If a caregiver isn't the right fit for whatever reason, tell us — we'll switch them without any drama. Your comfort is the point.

It varies a lot. Some families start with 4–8 hours a week (companionship, light help). Others start with daily personal care visits. A consultation helps figure out what would actually make a difference.

Yes. Wisconsin Medicaid pays for in-home care through two long-term care waiver programs: IRIS (self-directed) and Family Care (managed). Both cover personal care, companion/homemaker services, respite, and transportation for eligible participants. You must qualify both financially and functionally — your local ADRC does the screening.

Both use Medicaid funding to cover similar services. IRIS is self-directed — you choose and manage your own caregivers and budget. Family Care is managed — an MCO (managed care organization) coordinates your services and authorizes hours. You choose one or the other at enrollment; you can switch during open periods.

Generally no — not for the kind of non-medical care CVHC provides. Medicare covers short-term, post-hospitalization home health (skilled nursing, therapy) after a qualifying event, but not ongoing personal care or companionship. For those services, the usual options are IRIS, Family Care, VA benefits, LTC insurance, or private pay.

Contact your local Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) — in our area that's ADRC of Eau Claire, Chippewa, or Dunn County. They do the functional screen and walk you through financial eligibility for Medicaid long-term care. The full enrollment process typically takes 4–8 weeks.

Yes — we're a VA-approved home care provider. We work with Aid & Attendance, the Veteran-Directed Care program, the Homemaker and Home Health Aide program, and VA Community Care referrals. Full details here.

Yes, for most major carriers. We verify benefits up front, handle claim paperwork and visit documentation, and bill the carrier directly so you don't have to front the cost and wait for reimbursement. More info.

We charge a simple hourly rate for most services, with specific rates for overnight and 24-hour care. Call us for a current quote — we keep pricing straightforward and don't lock you into contracts.

A member of our team comes to the home (or meets over the phone if that's easier), meets your loved one, and walks through what a typical day looks like. We'll talk through what kind of help would help most. No pressure, no obligation.

For private pay and LTC insurance clients, care can often start within a few days. For IRIS and Family Care, the timeline depends on the MCO or FEA authorization process — usually 1–2 weeks once you're already enrolled in the program. If you're starting from scratch with IRIS or Family Care enrollment, allow 4–8 weeks.

We serve Eau Claire, Chippewa, and Dunn counties — generally within a 30-minute drive of Eau Claire. See our service area pages for city lists. Not sure? Call us.

Our office is open Monday–Friday 8am–5pm, with on-call coverage for current clients 24/7. Our caregivers provide care any day of the week, any time of day — including overnights and holidays.

Our typical minimum visit is a few hours, though this depends on the service and payer. We'll explain our specific minimums during the consultation.

This is really common. We handle it by starting small — maybe an hour or two of "help with errands" or "company for lunch" a couple of times a week. Once there's trust with the caregiver, you can expand. We've done this transition with lots of families.