Who pays for this?

Not for this kind of care. Medicare may cover skilled, physician-ordered home health care — a nurse or therapist, for a limited period. It does not cover ongoing non-medical help with bathing, meals, housekeeping or companionship, which is what we provide. Personal Touch Home Care does not bill Medicare.

We do not bill Medicaid. New Mexico does run programmes that help pay for in-home support for people who qualify, and if Medicaid is how you need to pay, tell us and we will point you toward the right place. We would rather send you somewhere that fits than take work we cannot serve properly.

Often, yes. Long-term care policies are specifically designed for this. We accept a number of carriers, though not every carrier and not every policy. Have the policy or the carrier's name handy when you call and we will tell you plainly whether yours is one we work with.

Most policies have an elimination period — a waiting stretch before benefits start, often measured in days of paid care. Most also require a care plan and dated visit records. We will go over what your specific policy asks for before care starts, so a claim does not get denied months later over paperwork.

Then it is private pay, which is how a large share of families do this. You pay directly for the hours you need, there are no approvals to wait on, and nobody outside your family decides what your loved one is allowed to have. Schedules can grow, shrink or pause as things change.