How we help
We live far away and can't be there every day
You call every day. You visit when you can. But the weekly drive is not enough anymore, and every unanswered phone call sends your stomach through the floor. You need someone local you can trust.
A consistent caregiver on a set schedule, so someone reliable is in the house on the days you cannot be.
Regular updates from the caregiver and coordinator: how they are eating, sleeping, moving, and whether anything has changed.
Rides to appointments, groceries, prescriptions picked up, the house kept in order.
A local number that answers, and a coordinator who will meet you at the house when you visit.
A written care plan you can review from anywhere.
The plan most long-distance families end up with
Start with a regular rhythm rather than a lot of hours: three visits a week, 3 to 4 hours each, on fixed days. That gives your parent a routine and a face they expect, covers the tasks that pile up (groceries, laundry, the pharmacy run, a proper meal), and gives you three reliable check-ins a week from someone who was actually in the house.
From there, families add hours when something changes: a hospital stay, a fall, a diagnosis. Because the caregiver already knows your parent and the house, scaling up is fast.
What the reports look like
Short and specific. “Ate a full lunch, walked to the mailbox with the cane, seemed tired, medication box was correct for the week.” When something is off, we say so and we call, not text. Our coordinators are the point of contact for the whole family, so siblings hear the same thing.
The Pennsylvania geography
Many of our long-distance families are in New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina with a parent in Lancaster, York, Cumberland or the Lehigh Valley, or in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with a parent in the rural counties. We serve 16 counties from our Harrisburg office with caregivers who live locally. The county pages linked below show the hospitals, the Area Agency on Aging, and the communities we cover in each.
When you visit
Tell us. Our coordinator can meet you at the house, walk through the care plan with you, and adjust it while you are there. It is also the best time to introduce a new caregiver if one is being added.
Practical things we help with that no one warns you about
Getting the mail sorted so the bills get paid. Noticing the refrigerator is full of expired food. Seeing that the same clothes are worn all week. Finding out the neighbor has been “helping” with finances. A caregiver in the home three times a week sees what a phone call cannot.
Other situations we help with
After a fall
A fall changes everything in a day. Whether it ended in the ER or just a scare on the kitchen floor, the question is the same: how do we keep this from happening again without taking away their independence?
Companionship and everyday help
Since your mother lost your father, the days are long and quiet. Meals have become toast. The mail piles up. She does not need medical care. She needs a person.
They refuse help
"I don't need a babysitter." You have heard it a dozen times. Meanwhile the fridge is empty, the pill bottles are a mess, and you are lying awake. There is a way through this, and it usually starts smaller than you think.
Coming home from the hospital
The hospital wants the bed. The discharge planner says someone needs to be home. You have a job, kids, and maybe a two-hour drive. This is the situation we are built for.
Frequently asked questions
Can we set everything up remotely?
How will I know what is going on?
How do I know you are legitimate?
This article is general information for Pennsylvania families and is not medical, legal, financial, or insurance advice. It's Your Home Care is a non-medical home care agency licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health; we do not provide skilled nursing or medical services. Program rules and eligibility change; confirm details with the agency or program named, your physician, or a qualified advisor before making decisions.
Talk to a care coordinator today
Tell us what is happening at home. We will explain your options, including what private pay, long-term care insurance, VA benefits, and Pennsylvania waiver programs may cover, and schedule an in-home care consultation when you are ready.