Nursing & Eldercare
Resources for in-home nursing & eldercare
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about nursing and eldercare
GENERAL
Q: How do I contact DIAL-AN-ANGEL®?
A: You can call us on 1300 721 111 or just email us administration@dialanangel.com
Q: Why doesn’t DIAL AN ANGEL supply a generic list of rates for all offices?
A: DIAL-AN-ANGEL currently has eleven offices around Australia and more are planned. Each location has its own set of rates for over 200 different types of service. Market forces indicate the appropriate rates in each area for each service. It is better to call the office located closest to where you need the service for accurate rates for the service required.
Q: How should I pay the Angel? Can I pay by credit card or personal cheque?
A: For your convenience, we accept American Express (higher charges may apply), MasterCard, Visa, Cash, Cheques, EFT and Money Order. Angels do not have the appropriate equipment to accept payment by credit card but this facility can be pre-arranged with the co-ordinator taking the booking.. An administration charge will apply. Payment can be by personal cheque but must be made out to the Angel (not to the Agency) or as a cash cheque. Simply print your name, address and driver’s licence number on the back. Angels also accept payment by cash.
Q: Can I change the method of payment at the completion of the booking?
A: No. This must be established at the time the booking is made with the Agency (see above).
Q: Is there an additional fee payable to the Agency?
A: No. The rate you are quoted includes the Agency Service Fee and GST payable for the visit. The Angel acts as a courier for the fee and the GST.
Q: Can I check the Angel’s references myself?
A: Yes. You may request the Angel to provide any additional references you require. The Agency is bound by the National Privacy Principles established by the Privacy Act of 1988 and is unable to supply these details. However, before any applicant is registered as an Angel, DIAL-AN-ANGEL undertakes comprehensive security checks including verbal confirmation of all personal and work-related references. Where State Laws allow police checks and ‘working with children checks’ are undertaken.
Q: May I book a regular service? Weekly? Fortnightly? Monthly?
A: Yes. Simply inform the co-ordinator when you make the booking or contact the Agency after you have enjoyed the initial service/s.
Q. How much advance notice do i need to give in order to make a booking?
A: As much notice as possible however, DIAL-AN-ANGEL is noted for its prompt response to emergency or last minute requests and will endeavour to fill a booking on the same day.
Q: Can I request the same Angel again? Should I make a further booking with the Angel?
A: An approach can be made by the Agency on your behalf to the requested Angel. It is better for this to happen than for the Angel to feel obliged to accept a regular booking while in your home and decide later that she/he really does not want an ongoing commitment. The Agency will make every effort to comply with your request but is unable to guarantee that the same Angel will be available to accept the next booking.
Q: What happens if I do not like the Angel? Or I am not satisfied with his/her work?
A: A phone call to the co-ordinator will ensure that a notation is made on your file. The Angel will not be offered your booking again. The co-ordinator managing your booking will advise you about the procedures we employ to deal with complaints if you are unhappy with any aspect of the Angel’s performance, appearance or attitude. You can read our full complaints procedure here.
Q: If the Angel I have booked suddenly takes ill or has a personal problem that prevents his/her arrival, will I be notified?
A: A co-ordinator will contact the client as soon as possible to re-schedule the booking or send a replacement Angel.
Q: What insurance cover should I have in case the Angel has an accident in my home?
A: Clients must have Domestic Workers Compensation Insurance in those States where it is not automatically provided for casual domestic workers. This is for the client’s protection as well as the Angel’s. It can be attached to your household insurance in most cases or purchased as a ‘stand-alone’ policy. We also recommend that you check your Home & Contents Insurance to make sure that you are covered for any breakages that may occur.
Q: Will the Angel provide me with an ABN and a Tax Invoice?
A: If you require a Tax Invoice please advise the co-ordinator when you make the initial booking. Unless the Angel is also conducting a business, they do not need an ABN, as they are independent workers who rely upon DIAL-AN-ANGEL for work referrals.
Q: If I hold a DIAL-AN-ANGEL Gift Voucher may I use it to pay the Angel?
A: Yes. Please advise the co-ordinator at the time of booking that you wish to pay using a gift voucher. It will be accepted and returned to the DIAL-AN-ANGEL office with a Bridging Facility Time Sheet, which you will be requested to countersign. The section co-ordinator will arrange for reimbursement directly into the Angel’s banking account.
Q: Can DIAL-AN-ANGEL send an account for the Angel’s services to me or to the Company for which I work?
A: Yes. Staff Angels© employed directly by DIAL-AN-ANGEL can be provided at corporate or managed care rates. This can be organised through our Corporate Services department. If your company wishes to provide your family with home help of any kind, an approach should be made to your local DIAL-AN-ANGEL office or to the Group Administration Centre. DIAL-AN-ANGEL is noted for its professional approach to Incentive, Reward and Work/Life balance programmes for Company staff.
Q: If I like the Angel may I ask that they work only for me and not through the Agency?
A: Yes. However, you will be charged a placement fee and you must be prepared to employ the Angel on a permanent basis. This means that you will be responsible for income tax deductions, forwarding these to the ATO and the provision of a PAYG payment summary at the end of the financial year, superannuation (where applicable), annual and sick leave entitlements and any other benefits that apply when you employ staff.
The Angel may or may not wish to accept permanent employment and normally advises the Agency if an approach is made by the client.
Q: What is “Angelic News"?
A: Angelic News is our free electronic newsletter sent to Clients and Angels with the compliments of DIAL-AN-ANGEL. It contains articles, tips, news, and information which is very helpful for anyone interested in home and family care – and really, that’s just about all of us. You can subscribe here.
NURSING
Q: What levels and types of service can be provided through the Nursing Department?
A: Either qualified and registered nurses or unqualified but experienced personal carers can be referred to suit the requirements of the client who is to receive the service. Registered Nurses, Mothercraft Nurses, attendant carers, eldercarers and companion carers can be referred or assigned. Our co-ordinators normally ask a variety of comprehensive questions to ascertain the level of care which best suits the client’s needs.
Q: When might I need a Registered Nurse (RN)? What is the difference between a RN and an Attendant Carer?
A: A RN manages all “invasive techniques” eg bowel care, administering injections, wound dressings and when medication has to be administered to the person requiring the service. Only RNs can be held responsible for the administering of all types of medication. Attendant carers may remind clients to take their medication once it is placed in a dosette or webster pack.
Q: How much notice do I need to give in order to make a booking?
A: The Nursing Department recommends that you give as much notice as possible, due to the huge demand for in-home nursing care. Rates and conditions of work offered by DIAL-AN-ANGEL appear to attract the cream of applicants. This means that we have adequate numbers of comprehensively screened Angels available for referral or assignment.
Q: What is the minimum/maximum booking allowed?
A: There is a minimum call-out charge of two hours per visit for Registered Nurses and three hours for other carers and support personnel. Shifts may be arranged up to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Q: If the RN or Personal Carer is really only needed for one hour, what will they do for the balance of the booking?
A: Nursing Angels are expected to carry out support duties eg. changing bed-linen, laundering, light cleaning and housekeeping, meal preparation, undertaking errands as well as those duties relating to personal attentions for the client.
Q: Can I ask the Angel to do an errand for me on her way to the booking?
A: Yes. When the Angel contacts you to confirm acceptance of the booking, advise her/him what you require. You will be expected to reimburse the Angel on the same day for the purchases and for the additional time involved.
ELDERCARE
Q: How much advance notice do I need to give in order to make a booking?
A: As much notice as possible, however, DIAL-AN-ANGEL is noted for its prompt response to emergency or last-minute requests and will endeavour to fill a booking even for the same day.
Q: May I book a regular service? Weekly? Fortnightly? Monthly? Or to live in?
A: Yes. Simply inform the co-ordinator when you make the booking or contact the Agency after the initial service/s.
Q: If the carer uses her own car to drive as part of her duties what insurance cover will she have?
A: All drivers are required by law to have CTP cover. Some insurers consider a car a ‘work vehicle’ if it is used for work purposes, while others use a definition based on the percentage of time the vehicle is used for 'business purposes'. We advise Angels to check with their insurer whether they need business or private cover.
GLOSSARY
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT)
Usually linked to a hospital, geriatric centre or community health centre. An ACAT team is likely to include a doctor, nurse, social worker, occupational therapist and physiotherapist. Upon request you can visit them or they will visit you in your home. Their purpose is to decide what level of care and support services are best for a person and whether this can best be provided in the home, in a hostel or a nursing home.
Ageing in place
A concept that allows a resident to choose to remain in his/her living environment regardless of the physical and or mental decline that may occur with the aging process of aging.
Alzheimer's
A progressive, neurodegenerative disease characterised by loss of function and death of nerve cells in several areas of the brain, leading to loss of mental functions such as memory and learning. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia.
Ambulatory
The ability to walk freely & independently, not bedridden or hospitalised.
Angel
This means that an applicant has been accepted for registration with DIAL-AN-ANGEL® after having been personally interviewed and fully screened (with all references confirmed verbally). Police clearances and “Working with Children Checks” are undertaken where State Laws allow.
Attendant carers
Angels who have experience and/or training in caring for the ill, injured or disabled but who do not necessarily hold nursing qualifications. This service is likely to include but is not limited to personal care such as bathing, assisting with toileting and hygiene, feeding, administering and monitoring oral medications.
Assistant In Nursing (AIN)
A person, other than a registered nurse, trainee or enrolled nurse who provides unqualified nursing services.
Care plan
A care plan is a written statement developed for a client that states the nursing and other interventions to be undertaken, the health outcomes to be achieved and the review of care that will occur at regular intervals.
Case management
A term used to describe formal services planned by care professionals. It is always undertaken by an experienced or qualified Case Manager who oversees and co-ordinates a client’s rehabilitation or maintenance programme. This is usually undertaken by an RN, an OT, Social Worker or Specialist Rehabilitation provider.
Corporate services
This service is provided where a third party such as a Trustee Company, a legal firm, an Insurance Company, The Office of the Protective Commissioner or large Corporations contract DIAL-AN-ANGEL to provide fully insured staff for their clients or employees who may be in need of assistance in the home. Only Staff Angels© are provided and an account is sent to the customer who is paying for the service to be provided to the recipient of the service.
Certified Critical Care (CCC)
Critical care nursing is that specialty within nursing that deals specifically with human responses to life-threatening problems. A critical care nurse is a licensed professional nurse who is responsible for ensuring that acutely and critically ill patients and their families receive optimal care. Certified Critical Care nurses must have been in critical care practice for a minimum of two years to be eligible for the examination.
Director Of Nursing (DON)
A DON oversees all nursing staff in a nursing home, and is responsible for formulating nursing policies and monitoring the quality of care delivered, as well as the facilities compliance with government regulations relating to nursing care.
Disability care
We specialise in caring for children and adults with disabilities in their own homes. We are able to provide Registered Nurses, Enrolled Nurses, Assistant in Nursing, Attendant Carers and Domestic Help.
Eldercare-at-home®
This involves caring for seniors who are frail or ill, suffering from early dementia or for those who may simply need a friendly, listening ear. Carers may be requested to shop for, prepare and cook light meals, to keep the home clean and tidy, change the bed linen, provide companionship and accompany the client to activities outside the home. They may also be required to administer and monitor the effects of prescribed oral medications if advised or supervised by a competent medical officer.
Emergency care
Provision of an Angel at very short notice for children, the aged or disabled. DIAL-AN-ANGEL operates nationally 7 days a week from 8.30am to 8.30pm, 365 days a year.
Emergency nurse
An Emergency Nurse Practitioner is a recognised expert nurse in emergency care and has specific knowledge and education within the specialty including Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Trauma Care and other specialty qualifications or certification.
Enduring guardian
An Enduring Guardian is a person you can appoint to make lifestyle decisions for you should you become mentally incapacitated. An Enduring Guardian is appointed by preparing a legal document called an Enduring Power of Guardianship.
Enrolled Nurse (EN)
An Enrolled Nurse is bound by the Nurses Acts in each State and Territory and regulatory authorities pursuant to those Acts and regulations. Enrolled nurses may practice within the scope of their educational training under the supervision of a Registered Nurse
Medico-legal reporting
Experts who assist Lawyers, Insurance companies, Government Depts. and others, by providing specialist written reports pertaining to the experts particular area of expertise. These reports are most often utilised in the support or defence of a particular legal issue or circumstance (eg: Personal injury and/or other areas of law).
Neo-natal nurses
These are fully trained and qualified Registered Nurses (RNs) who specialise in the care of newborns suffering from specific illnesses, diseases or disabilities for a period of four to six weeks from birth. These nurses may be offered referrals and/or assignments through the Home Nursing Departments of DIAL-AN-ANGEL.
Nursing
This is the provision of care for the ill, the frail and/or the disabled. It does not necessarily mean that Registered Nurses are required although these services are available. DIAL-AN-ANGEL has an In-home Nursing department that is able to provide carers (full-time, part-time or on an "as needed" basis) for its clients.
Palliative care
Sometimes referred to as comfort care or hospice care, palliative care is a comprehensive approach to the management of terminal illness. The focus is on keeping dying patients comfortable through pain control and addressing psychological, social, and spiritual concerns, instead of treating the disease or condition.
Perioperative
The period of time extending from the time of hospitalization for surgery through to the time of discharge from the hospital
Personal Care Attendants (PCA)
See Attendant Carers
Permanent placement fee
This is a fee paid by a client (after a trial period at casual rates) for the referral and placement of an employee who will work for them on a LONG-TERM basis for more than 15 hours a week.
Power of attorney
A power of attorney is a document by which a person appoints someone else, usually a trusted family member or friend, to act as their agent with authority to deal with and manage their property and other financial affairs.
Registered Nurse (RN)
A registered nurse is bound by the Nurses Act in each State and Territory and by the regulatory authorities pursuant to those Acts and regulations. The registered nurse has skills, qualifications and competence to practise a primary level of care in all aspects of community nursing.
Regular bookings
These are services occurring on a regular basis; daily, weekly, fortnightly or monthly. The client determines the regularity of the bookings.
Respite care
Services that provide people with temporary relief from tasks associated with full-time care giving.
Short-term live-in
The Angel may spend from one to 30 days living in the client's household caring for the residence, the client and/or the client's children or elderly parents. The Angel is available "at need" and is on call 24 hours a day in the client's absence. The booking may be renewed each 30 days, if further assistance is needed. Respite Care (where the regular carer requires short-term relief) comes within this category. The Angel is often in SOLE CHARGE of the home and family in the absence of the parent/s or regular carers.
Specialling – attendant carers
Involves one-to-one specialised care provided by an Attendant Carer to a private patient in a hospital/hostel/nursing home. Other patients in this type of institution may not receive attention or care from the “specialler”, due to insurance restrictions. All have current Senior First Aid Certificate and police clearances. This service can be provided for 3 hours or more, or in 8, 12 or 24 hour shifts. .
Specialling – registered nurses
Involves one-to-one specialised care provided by an RN to a private patient in a hospital/hostel/nursing home. Other patients in this type of institution may not receive attention or care from the “specialler”, due to insurance restrictions. All have current NSW Nurses Board Registration and police clearances. This service can be provided for 2 hours or more, or in 8, 12 or 24 hour shifts.
Staff angels©
Staff Angels are employed directly by DIAL-AN-ANGEL to work on Managed Care assignments. They are covered for Workers Compensation, Professional Indemnity and Public Liability Insurances; Superannuation is paid and lodged with an approved fund; Income tax deductions are made by the Agency and forwarded monthly to the Australian Tax Office (ATO); Permanent employees are covered for Annual Leave and Sick Leave entitlements.
Visiting angels™
Visiting Angels refers to those Angels who attend clients’ bookings but do not live in the clients’ homes. They, therefore require neither accommodation nor meals. They may be independent workers or Staff Angels.
TOP TIPS
For seniors grab bars and elevated toilet seats make good safety sense. Non-slip bath mats should be in tubs and showers.
To avoiding falls put night lights in bedrooms, bathrooms, hallways, and other areas. Tack down or apply adhesive materials to the backs of rugs. Non-skid flooring is best and handrails should be installed on stairways.
Care giving requires a generosity of spirit but caregivers also need to take care of their own physical and emotional needs. Make sure you take a respite break to recharge your physical and emotional resources.
Contact us for a free, no-obligation quote or to make a general enquiry.
When you seek only the best, it has to be from DIAL-AN-ANGEL.
Our friendly and experienced co-ordinators are ready to help.
Simply call 1300 721 111.
Featured Article
Pet Hair and Pet Care: The trials and tribulations of living with pets
Around The Home
Read the entire Pet Hair and Pet Care: The trials and tribulations of living with pets article
Angel's Corner
Angels registered with DIAL-AN-ANGEL can login to Angel's Corner to access news, standard forms and a whole lot more!