Preparing for your complimentary Kai home-care visit

Start with what matters to the person receiving care

This guide is for you if you are considering help at home, and for you if you are a partner, adult child, friend or other loved one coordinating it. You can prepare on your own or together. The person receiving care should have a voice in the conversation wherever possible.

If the care is for you, think about what a good day looks like: what you want to keep doing independently, where help would be welcome, and what you would like us to understand. If you are coordinating for someone else, ask about their priorities and add your observations about the help you can realistically provide.

Small preferences matter: breakfast on the lanai, time to get dressed without rushing, quiet afternoons, a familiar meal, or someone who shares an interest. Tell us about communication and language preferences, too. Ask whom the person receiving care wants present. If a loved one lives off-island, ask Kai beforehand how they can participate.

What Kai will do during the home visit

A Qualified Care Supervisor comes to the home for the complimentary assessment. We will review the routines, priorities, support needs and help already available, then work through what a suitable service plan could include. [2]

• Listen to what matters. We will discuss the changes prompting the visit and the preferences of the person receiving care. A loved one can help explain the situation and their own role in supporting it.
• Understand the help needed. We will talk through daily tasks and review the home setup relevant to that help. Let us know which areas you are comfortable showing and which topics you would prefer to discuss privately.
• Work through the schedule. We will review the times when help is wanted, family coverage and the gaps between visits. Together, we can discuss which proposed hours would serve a useful purpose.
• Explain service fit and cost. We will discuss the tasks Kai could provide, the appropriate service level and the proposed pricing. If a need belongs with a clinical or other provider, we will clarify that boundary. Any estimate you already have is a starting point for this discussion.

Bring questions as they occur to you. This is a discussion about daily life in the home; there is no need to present a polished set of answers. The complimentary assessment is separate from a scheduled caregiver visit.

Describe an ordinary day and what has changed

Walk through getting up, dressing, meals, moving around the home, errands, evenings and nights. Explain what is managed independently, where someone already helps, and what has recently changed. A diagnosis can give context, but the daily tasks and timing help us understand the support needed.

A person arranging their own care might say, “I can dress myself, but preparing dinner has become tiring.” A loved one might say, “I can help on weekends, but cannot reliably cover weekday mornings.” These are planning examples, not accounts of Kai clients.

Include the less comfortable subjects, too. You can ask to speak privately or return to a question later. If you are coordinating care, share your concerns while leaving room for the other person’s perspective.

Put family help and the uncovered hours on the same page

Write down the days and times when help is wanted. Beside them, note what family, friends or existing services can reliably cover. Include the hours between proposed caregiver visits. If you are coordinating care, be clear about your own availability; the plan should reflect the help you can actually provide.

Kai’s visits have a four-hour minimum, with at least 12 scheduled hours per week. Bring the preferred schedule so we can discuss how it fits those terms and the available care arrangements. Requested hours and a start date still need confirmation. [1]

If you have used our care estimator, keep the estimate or printout handy. We will review the assistance needed, service level, schedule and pricing. Bring your budget questions, including tax, holidays and any other applicable charges, and ask what would change the quote. [2]

Help us understand how the home works

Let Kai know about building entry, stairs, visitor parking, pets, or anything that could affect the visit. Point out any practical concern you want us to understand, such as a narrow path or a bathroom that is difficult to use.

Have existing routine notes or care instructions available for discussion. There is no need to assemble a new binder. If a clinician has given instructions that affect daily help, mention them so the responsibilities can be clarified.

Bring up skilled nursing, medication administration, equipment or transfer needs early. Kai provides non-medical support; its service limits exclude medication administration, mechanical lifts and two-person transfers. The visit helps clarify which services fit. Clinical assessment and treatment instructions belong with the relevant licensed professionals. [1]

How we move from the visit to a care plan

Kai uses what is learned during the assessment to shape the proposed service plan. Caregiver planning considers the help needed and household preferences. We will discuss the proposed caregiver arrangement and available schedule with you; a particular person or start date needs confirmation. [3]

Before care begins, the plan should make clear:

• The tasks, routines and service level agreed for the visits.
• The confirmed days, hours, intended start date and caregiver arrangement.
• The pricing and applicable charges, with the service agreement explained.
• Whom to contact, how updates will be shared, and how to raise a question or request a change.

Kai’s published process settles responsibilities, routines and contacts in writing before care starts. We also agree a communication rhythm with the family. If you are receiving care yourself, tell us whom you want involved in updates; if you are coordinating, clarify your role and what information would be helpful. [3]

Care begins once the plan and care arrangements are confirmed. If something is still being worked out, ask what remains open, who will follow up and when you should expect the next update. You can ask questions and take time to consider the proposed next step.