You do not need every answer before asking for help.
Tell SILK what has changed, which parts of the day feel hardest, and what your family is carrying now. We will help you clarify the need, understand private-pay options, and determine whether a safe, dependable care plan can be built.
“We need help” is enough to start the conversation.
Families often wait because they believe they need a diagnosis, a perfect schedule, benefit approval, or agreement from everyone involved. You can call before any of that is settled.
Perhaps your mother is skipping meals. Your husband now needs help bathing. Your father has fallen twice. A hospital discharge is approaching. Or the family caregiver simply cannot keep doing everything alone.
SILK’s first job is to listen. We will ask practical questions, explain what non-medical home care can and cannot do, and help identify the next responsible step.
- You may call for yourself, a spouse, a parent, or another adult you support
- You can explore care before the person is ready to commit
- You do not need a physician’s order to discuss private-pay non-medical care
- A conversation does not obligate your family to hire SILK
A clear six-step path into home care.
Timing varies with needs, location, paperwork, family decisions, and confirmed staffing. SILK will not promise a start date until the arrangement can be responsibly supported.
Initial conversation
Share what changed, where the person lives, who is involved, what help is needed, and how urgent the situation feels.
Early fit check
SILK considers the location, requested tasks, non-medical scope, home environment, schedule, risks, and current staffing realities.
Care assessment
We learn more about routines, mobility, personal care, memory, meals, safety, preferences, household conditions, and family goals.
Plan and pricing
The family reviews proposed services, schedule, current rate, minimums, payment terms, responsibilities, and relevant policies.
Agreement and matching
Required paperwork is completed and SILK works to match appropriate caregivers with the person, needs, location, and schedule.
Care begins
The caregiver follows the agreed non-medical care plan while SILK communicates, monitors fit, and adjusts responsibly as needs evolve.
A few details help us give you a useful answer faster.
Daily abilities and concerns
What can the person do independently? Where is assistance, cueing, supervision, or reassurance now needed?
Hardest days and times
Think about mornings, meals, bathing, appointments, evenings, nights, work hours, and when family coverage breaks down.
Location and environment
Share the town or ZIP code, stairs, pets, smoking, mobility equipment, household members, access, and known safety concerns.
Falls, discharge, or decline
Tell us about recent hospitalization, rehabilitation, surgery, wandering, weight loss, confusion, or caregiver exhaustion.
Who makes decisions
Identify the person receiving care, primary family contact, legal decision-maker if applicable, and others who should participate.
How care may be funded
Let SILK know whether you are planning private pay, exploring long-term-care insurance, or working with an authorized program.
What SILK can support—and what requires another professional.
SILK’s non-medical role may include
- Personal care such as bathing, dressing, grooming, and toileting
- Mobility assistance and everyday fall-risk awareness
- Companionship, supervision, routines, and dementia support
- Meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, and errands
- Medication reminders without administering or changing medication
- Transportation and accompaniment when arranged and appropriate
- Respite, overnight, post-surgery, and extended care when staffable
Clinical or emergency needs require
- Diagnosis, treatment, nursing assessment, or medical advice
- Medication administration, injections, wound care, or skilled procedures
- Physical, occupational, or speech therapy
- Emergency response or continuous medical monitoring
- Tasks outside SILK’s permitted scope or the caregiver’s training
- An unsafe arrangement that cannot be responsibly supported at home
- Services or schedules SILK cannot reliably staff
Call early—even if the discharge plan is still changing.
Urgency does not automatically create safe staffing, but early information gives everyone a better chance to build a responsible plan.
Tell SILK the expected discharge date, location, mobility needs, equipment already in the home, who will be present, and which instructions came from the clinical team. We can discuss non-medical support while the hospital, rehabilitation center, home-health agency, physicians, and therapists handle their respective clinical roles.
Private pay may allow a family to move forward without waiting for a public-program authorization, but assessment, agreement, caregiver matching, and confirmed coverage are still necessary.
Clarity before promises. Respect before pressure.
An honest fit conversation
If SILK cannot responsibly provide the requested service or schedule, we should say so rather than overpromise.
A person-centered plan
The person receiving care has preferences, history, routines, dignity, and a voice—not merely a list of tasks.
Local accountability
SILK is 100% woman-owned and locally operated, with leadership invested in the Southern Ohio communities it serves.
Continue with the question closest to your family’s situation.
Home Care Costs
Calculate a planning budget and understand what shapes private-pay pricing.
Plan the cost →Private-Pay Home Care
Learn how families arrange care directly and what private pay changes.
Explore private pay →Is It Time for Home Care?
Recognize changes that may signal a need for additional support.
Review the signs →Home Safety Review
Look at falls, bathrooms, pathways, lighting, wandering, and household risks.
Review home safety →Senior Care Guide
Use SILK’s plain-English guidance to think through care decisions.
Open the guide →Contact SILK
Share the location, situation, schedule, and questions directly with us.
Start the conversation →Starting home care, answered step by step.
Do we need a doctor’s order to start private-pay home care?
Generally, a physician’s order is not required to discuss or arrange private-pay non-medical home care. Clinical home health and certain benefit programs have different eligibility and authorization requirements.
How quickly can SILK start care?
Timing depends on needs, location, requested schedule, home conditions, completed assessment and paperwork, caregiver matching, and confirmed staffing. SILK will not promise a start date until the arrangement can be responsibly supported.
What happens during the first phone call?
SILK will ask who needs care, where they live, what changed, what help is requested, which days and times matter, how urgent the need is, and how the family expects to pay. The call helps determine whether an assessment or another next step makes sense.
Does the person receiving care need to agree?
Whenever the adult can make their own decisions, their preferences and consent matter. Families can seek guidance before everyone agrees, but SILK should not be used to force unwanted non-emergency care on a capable adult.
Can we begin with only a few visits?
Potentially. Minimum visits and scheduling expectations may apply. Availability depends on location, care needs, requested timing, caregiver availability, and whether the schedule can be staffed reliably.
How much will care cost?
SILK discusses current rates, minimum scheduling expectations, payment terms, and any relevant conditions before the family commits. Visit the Home Care Costs page to calculate weekly and monthly planning estimates.
Can SILK help after a hospital or rehabilitation discharge?
Potentially. SILK can provide non-medical recovery support such as personal care, meals, mobility assistance, household help, reminders, supervision, and transportation when appropriate. Clinical needs remain with nurses, therapists, physicians, and other licensed professionals.
What if our needs change after care begins?
Contact SILK promptly. The care plan and schedule may be reviewed, but changes remain subject to SILK’s non-medical scope, safety, agreement, caregiver qualifications, and staffing availability.
Start by telling us what feels unsustainable now.
Susan or Ehren will listen, ask practical questions, and help you understand whether SILK’s non-medical home care may fit. You will receive clear next steps without being pressured to make a decision on the spot.
Founded and 100% owned by Susan Lowers, BSW · Locally operated in Southern Ohio