Remote Caregiving – Now Offered Statewide
Some clients may be eligible to receive remote caregiving—a new form of personal care. Reach out to your case manager or care coordinator to learn whether remote caregiving is a good option for you!
Check out our flyer or read below to find out more.
What is Remote Caregiving?
Clients can receive remote personal care from qualified caregivers through secure video technology—without entering the client’s home. Remote caregiving helps clients with tasks that do not require hands-on assistance and offers flexible, person-centered support.
What Remote Caregiving Helps With
Personal care tasks that can be performed remotely are those that include reminding, oversight, monitoring, encouragement, or prompting. Tasks that require hands-on personal care are not available for remote caregiving.
Examples of remote tasks caregivers may assist with include, but are not limited to:
Daily routines
- Medication reminders
- Personal hygiene reminders
- Dressing and bathroom cues
- Meal monitoring (if no swallowing concerns)
Health and wellness
- Oversight of nebulizer use
- Insulin injection reminders
- Medical appointment reminders
- Encouragement to do physical therapy
Emotional and planning support
- Arranging transportation
- Calming strategies and coping ideas
- Online ordering for essential shopping
Who Can Receive Remote Caregiving
People who receive personal care services through Washington’s long-term care programs may be able to use remote caregiving.
To use remote caregiving, a person must:
- Be approved for personal care services.
- Have tasks that work well with remote support.
- Be able to use approved video technology.
- Agree to receive some care through remote visits.
Remote caregiving can be used alone or with in-person care. Some tasks may require an in-home caregiver. Not every home care agency offers remote caregiving service.
A case manager or care coordinator from the Developmental Disabilities Administration, Home and Community Services, or your local Area Agency on Aging will talk with you and your family, learn what is needed, and help decide if remote caregiving is a good fit.
Who Offers Remote Caregiving
Any DSHS-contracted home care agency in Washington can choose to offer remote caregiving. Agencies must follow program rules and use secure video technology to protect privacy. Because participation is optional, availability can be different depending on where someone lives. A case manager or care coordinator can help find a home care agency that provides remote caregiving.
Remote caregiving is not available through individual providers; only DSHS-contracted home care agencies can offer this service.
Remote Caregiving Technology
Remote caregiving uses secure video, allowing the caregiver and client to see each other and talk face-to-face during the visit. Remote caregiving services are not AI and will not be recorded.
A tablet, television, computer, or smart device with secure internet access may be used. The home care agency and your case manager will explain what is needed and help with setup.
Who to Contact
To learn whether remote caregiving is a good fit, contact your case manager or care coordinator. They can explain options and help with next steps.