Published by Kai Home Care, a non-medical home care agency serving Oʻahu. We offer this guide to help you compare your options, including services other than our own.
Begin with the person and the day
Before you call an agency, make a short list of the help you are looking for. “Help in the mornings” is a starting point. “Help getting dressed, preparing breakfast, and leaving for an appointment” gives the provider more to work with.
Ask the person receiving care what would make a visit comfortable. Language, pace, privacy, food preferences, pets, and familiar routines may all matter. Include what they want to keep doing themselves. A useful plan makes room for those choices.
Then note the days, location, and likely hours. If relatives are helping, identify which visits still need coverage. You do not need to solve the entire schedule before calling, but this outline helps each provider discuss the same needs.
Check the agency’s license and service area
The Hawaii Department of Health maintains a home care agency directory with names, license dates, and geographic areas. Match the business you are speaking with to its listing, and ask about any difference in names or status you do not understand. [1]
Licensing is one part of the conversation. You still need to ask whether the provider can support the particular tasks, address, and schedule you have in mind. Being listed for Oʻahu does not establish that a caregiver is available for your requested hours.
For skilled nursing, therapy, or other clinical needs, clarify whether you need a home health provider instead of, or alongside, non-medical home care. Hawaii’s home care guidance separates home care from nursing and other clinical services. [2]
Understand who handles what
Ask who employs the caregiver and which responsibilities the service accepts. An employing agency, a referral service, and a private arrangement can each have a place in a family’s plan. Their names alone do not tell you exactly what support is included.
Discuss screening, training, payroll, insurance, scheduling, supervision, and the process for raising a concern. For insurance, ask to see current documentation and have the provider explain relevant coverage. If you are considering a direct hire, seek appropriate help understanding any employer responsibilities.
Caregivers deserve clear expectations too. Ask how they receive the plan, who helps them when needs change, and how your family can share feedback constructively. Our comparison of private hiring and agency care covers these arrangements in more depth.
Talk about continuity and changes
Ask what a typical staffing arrangement would look like for your schedule. One familiar caregiver may be possible for some visits; other schedules may involve several people. Discuss how introductions happen and how a replacement learns the household’s routines.
Time off and unexpected absences are part of working life. Ask how the provider tries to arrange cover, how soon it tells you about a gap, and what your family should do if a replacement is unavailable. Keep a family backup plan as well.
For relatives living off-island, agree on a primary contact and a reasonable update routine. Confirm the person receiving care’s permissions for sharing information. Ask which number to use after hours and what response to expect; routine scheduling and an emergency require different plans.
Review the plan and the full cost together
Ask each provider to describe the tasks, schedule, and exclusions in writing. A useful service plan is specific enough that the family, caregiver, and coordinator can tell whether it reflects the intended arrangement.
Compare a complete quote for the same week of care. Include visit minimums, applicable taxes, holidays, transportation, cancellation terms, and any deposits. Ask how rate changes are communicated. A single hourly price is not the whole budget.
Keep your notes from each conversation. If one provider describes something differently, ask a follow-up question before treating it as an advantage or a problem. A clear explanation is more useful than a box checked without context.
Eight questions to take with you
Print these questions for your conversations. Write the provider’s name and the date on the sheet, and keep the written quote alongside it.
0 of 8 answered
The checklist is a conversation aid, not an assessment of a provider. Your selections stay in this tab only; nothing is sent.
Choose an arrangement you can work with
After the conversations, return to the person’s preferences and the help needed. Which provider explained its role clearly? Which questions remain unanswered? Does the proposed schedule fit the household and the budget?
It is reasonable to ask for clarification before deciding. It is also reasonable to find that a different care arrangement would work better. A clinical service, an adult day program, a residential option, or a private caregiver may deserve consideration alongside an agency.
If you speak with Kai, use this same checklist. Discuss the tasks you have in mind and ask us to explain what our non-medical service can provide. The goal is a workable relationship with clear expectations for everyone.
Check the details
Sources & review
Sources checked on September 28, 2026. Rules and provider terms can change; use the linked originals to confirm the current details.
- Hawaii Department of Health: licensed home care agencies
Official directory with agency names, license dates, and listed geographic areas. Availability for a specific schedule must be confirmed with the provider.
- Hawaii Department of Health: home care agency information
Definitions, service scope, and links to licensing rules. This guide does not rank licensed agencies.
- Kai: private caregiver and agency comparison
Companion guide with separately attributed government sources on employment and insurance responsibilities.
About this guide
Published by Kai Home Care, LLC, a licensed non-medical home care agency serving Oʻahu (237-HCA). Kai has a commercial interest in agency care. The questions are a conversation aid, not a rating system or assurance of care quality. Kai publishes this guide as an agency families may be considering. No individual provider is ranked.
General information, not individualized tax, legal, insurance, or medical advice. A qualified professional can review the obligations that apply to your family. Contact Kai with a question or correction.
When you are ready
Bring your questions to Kai.
A complimentary home visit gives your family time to discuss routines, the help needed, and whether our non-medical service is a good fit.
Arrange a home visit Or call 808.400.9686Non-medical home care · Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi