Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Care is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including nights, weekends and holidays. Whenever someone needs us, we want to be there.

As soon as you need us, within 24 hours. If your loved one is in the hospital, our hospital-to-home assistance can help with discharge so care is ready when they get home.

No. Your first consultation and in-home assessment are free, with no commitment. We'll learn about your loved one's needs and build a care plan together.

We serve Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties, with a focus on the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita Valley and Beverly Hills. That includes Pasadena, Burbank, La Cañada Flintridge, Santa Monica and the beach cities down to the South Bay, Hawthorne, Woodland Hills, Thousand Oaks and the Conejo Valley. Don't see your city? Call us. Wherever you need us, we'll make it happen.

St Michaels provides non-medical home care for seniors, adults and children who need support at home.

Personal care: bathing, grooming, dressing, hygiene, incontinence care, mobility help and medication reminders

Around the house: meal prep, light housekeeping, laundry, grocery shopping, errands and rides to appointments

Companionship and live-in care: companionship, 24-hour care, live-in care, overnight supervision and respite for family caregivers

Hospital-to-home assistance: help with discharge, getting settled back home and support while recovering from surgery or a hospital stay

We support clients living with Alzheimer's and dementia, Parkinson's, stroke, diabetes, and those recovering from orthopedic or other surgery. We also support clients on hospice or palliative care. We care for adults and children with disabilities and special needs, including cerebral palsy, MS, brain and spinal cord injuries, autism, Down syndrome and developmental delays.

We support clients who have G-tubes or trachs, working alongside their home health or hospice team. Medical tasks are performed by licensed medical providers.

Many of our caregivers are certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and home health aides (HHAs), bringing extra training and experience to every visit.

We also offer 24-hour emergency assistance for hospital-to-home transitions and Care Concierge for families who need an advocate to coordinate and oversee care.

Yes. St Michaels is licensed, bonded and insured. Our caregivers are covered by our liability insurance and workers' compensation. If a caregiver is hurt on the job, or something is accidentally damaged during care, our coverage handles it, not your family.

Every caregiver completes our training program during onboarding. It's rooted in holistic healthcare ethics and values, and built with the expertise of our healthcare and legal partners. Topics include:

Daily living support: personal hygiene, meal prep, shopping and chores, while helping clients stay independent with dignity and encouragement

Care for different needs: how needs differ for older adults, children and adults with special needs, clients living with mental illness, and hospice clients

Client rights and safety: client rights, patient advocacy, privacy (HIPAA) and elder abuse prevention, taught with our elder law partners

Communication and mental health: leading with empathy and supporting mental health, developed with our trusted care advocate partners

Our learning doesn't stop at onboarding. Our team regularly attends seminars and conferences to stay up to date on the latest healthcare practices, so our care keeps getting better.

Many of our caregivers are certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and home health aides (HHAs), bringing extra training and experience to every visit.

Every caregiver goes through five steps: 1 . Background check 2. Skills assessment, especially for specialized care like dementia, Alzheimer's and disability care 3. Interview to evaluate professionalism, compassion and fit with our values 4. Training verification, including registration as a California Home Care Aide (HCA) 5. Ongoing monitoring: regular evaluations, client and family feedback, and check-in visits. Some visits are unannounced to the caregiver, but we always let the family know first.

Always. We honor every client's faith, culture and personal values, and we build care around what matters to them, from prayer times to dietary practices to holidays.

We're open to every faith and respect each client's beliefs, whether Christian, Roman Catholic, Jewish, another tradition or no religious affiliation. At your request, we build faith, traditions, prayer, dietary practices, holidays and observances into the care plan and caregiver matching. That can include praying together, reading scripture, playing hymns or worship music, keeping a rosary or devotional routine, observing Shabbat and kosher practices, and helping clients get to Mass, church, synagogue or other services, or receive visits from clergy. Just let us know during your free assessment.

Yes. We work with long-term care (LTC) insurance from all major providers, including Genworth, John Hancock, Bankers Life, Mutual of Omaha, Transamerica, MassMutual, New York Life, Northwestern Mutual, MetLife, CNA Financial, the CalPERS Long-Term Care Program, Continental General (formerly Great American), Thrivent Financial and Unum.

We make the process easier: we bill your long-term care insurance directly, handle the claim paperwork, and coordinate with your insurer and physician to meet eligibility requirements. We'll also help you understand your policy's daily benefit limits, waiting period and covered services, and help you receive reimbursements quickly. We also have a funding partner who helps families find ways to pay for private care. Call (818) 792-3728 and we'll help you figure out what's covered.

Every family's needs are different, so we don't believe in one-size-fits-all pricing. After a free in-home assessment, we'll recommend the level of care that fits and give you clear rates, with no hidden fees. Call (818) 792-3728 to talk through your options.

Yes. Care starts at a minimum of 20 hours per week, which can be spread across the days that work best for your family.