What is At-Home Medicare Services?

At-Home Medicare Service is a health care management program where major part of the services are provided at the members' home to suit the members' convenience. It is a program for those needing regular health monitoring services at home. The Plan seeks to provide regular and timely general health and well-being related facilities to make life comfortable and cheerful for senior citizens and healthy and less stressful for executives and their relatives.

What are the services offered at home?

At-Home Medicare Services seeks to provide facility of blood, urine and stool collection from the home of the member, ECG at home, delivery of reports at home and doctor consultation at home. This is covered as part of the "Basic Services" under the Plan.

At-Home Medicare Services will also facilitate in arranging for visit of specialists, arranging of wheel chairs and the like at an additional charge. Details are in the Section "Optional Services" under Service Plans".

How can one become a member?

One can become a member by registering with us under the respective Service Plan. For more details, please refer to "Membership" section.

How can I gift Plan services?

You can gift Plan services to anyone by registering that person as a Member under our Plan. Please refer to "Membership" section for further details.

Why would any one need these medicare services at home?

Medicare services at home are needed for those who find it difficult to visit medical centres either due to inability to move out alone or even with attendants, like senior citizens, or due to time constraints, like senior executives.

What is the Senior Citizens' Plan?

Senior citizens are often alone and are not very fit to move out by themselves especially, where their children are settled abroad or in another city or where their work places are away. Consequently, they find it extremely difficult to reach in time for medical appointments. The Plan covers "Basic Services" which is for regular monitoring and "Optional Services" under which additional facilities/services are provided at an additional charge as these services may not be required in all cases.

At-Home Medicare staff will provide necessary support, like taking the Senior Citizen Member to the specialist or arranging for the visit of the specialist, arranging for their blood to be collected from home for testing or even arranging for a companion to read or write emails/letters for them or facilitate in making telephone calls, and so on. Details are in the Section Services" and "Membership".

Why does your Plan include complete medical check up in the first instance? My mother is quite OK. I would be happy if someone is just available when she needs medical care.

Complete medical check up, in the first instance, establishes the health condition at the start of the health management program and our experience shows that it provides early signals and helps in timely treatment and well being.

What if I have gone through the complete medical check up very recently? Would you still need to do the check-up again?

Not necessarily. If you have gone through the complete medical check up recently, our general physician may rely on the same and, in that case, the complete medical check up may be done at a later date.

I am in UK and my mother, who is 65 years old, lives in Mumbai. There are some relatives nearby but not staying with her. She is generally Ok/mobile but, is a diabetic and needs continuous monitoring. She often forgets to take her tablets and sugar level fluctuates. Would you be able to take care of her diabetic medication program?

Yes, we will. We will talk to her on a regular basis ( at intervals agreed with you) to facilitate monitoring of diabetes and also co-ordinate with your diabetic consultant for her timely testing and change in medicines, if recommended by the consultant. We can also arrange for her sugar level checking, if required, on a regular basis.

My father is 80 years old. He is almost home bound. His sight is becoming weak and finds it difficult to read and misses out on the news and stories. Can you help?

Sure we can. Our health management program not only covers health check-ups but also provides assistance to make life more cheerful for older people by attending to their needs. We can organize for a person to spend time with your father everyday reading newspapers and magazines of his choice.

I have an old aunt who does not have any other support system. She lives in Mumbai and I am at Bangalore. I find that she often has problems like fever, cough, etc. In such times, she is not able to go out and I have to call up doctors from here, talk to her servant, explain medication and manage her health remotely. How can your program help me?

In our program, we will take over your responsibilities and co-ordinate the health management of your aunt in consultation with you. As you would have noticed from the details under "Service Plans", we will make regular visits and calls which will give early warning of cough, cold and hence will facilitate timely medication. We will co-ordinate with your family doctor (if you so desire) or our family physician will visit her and monitor medication and general health care.

My father and mother both are living alone in India and I am working in Singapore. Both of them are able to move about in the house but do not feel confident to go out alone. Also, I am not sure whether they take their medicines in time or inform me early enough if they have any health problems. I am quite worried about it. Can you take care of my parents?

Sure we can. You can enroll both of them for our health management program and we will visit them from time to time (please see section "Service Plans") and check whether medicines are taken in time and whether stock of medicines is there or needs to be called for. We can also make arrangements to take them out ( we will provide chauffeur driven car and attendant, if required, to take them out as may be desired by them or as suggested by you ).

My mother is very ill and needs regular dialysis. My brother and sister-in-law live with her but are quite stressed out. Also, they cannot leave her alone and go out. I would like to take some part of their burden. Is it possible?

Yes, it is possible. We will help your brother and sister-in-law and take some of their burden off. We, in co-ordination with them, arrange to take your mother for dialysis. Our courteous and helpful staff will come to your house, pick up your mother, take her to the hospital, wait there till dialysis is completed and bring her back home. We can also arrange to baby-sit whenever required. Please see "Optional Services" / "Membership" Section for further details.

I live in the UK and my 70 year old mother lives alone in Mumbai. Though she is generally alright and otherwise mobile, I am constantly worried about her since she is a hypertension patient and has nobody nearby who will take the responsibility during an emergency. I would like to register her for my peace of mind but she feels it is unnecessary since she can call the doctor whenever required. How do I convince her that it is beneficial to register under the Plan?

The best way is to just gift the Service Plan to her and we are confident that she will really cherish the gift.

I am worried that if I am not at home when your doctor or technician comes; will you make another visit? Will you charge for the same?

Don't worry, we will normally make a prior appointment before coming to your house. However, in unforeseen circumstances, if you do happen to be absent for unavoidable reasons, we will agree to another time and make another visit at no extra charge for the same. Our entire objective is to make you feel comfortable and secure. However, we are confident that such instances will not occur frequently.

If my doctor asks for some additional tests not included in your package, will you assist in getting them done? How will it work in that case?

We will certainly assist in getting all additional tests done as recommended by doctors/specialists - this service is offered under "Optional Services" at additional charge depending on the tests required to be carried out and the place where these are required to be carried out.

I may want to get a surgery done outside of Mumbai? Can you arrange for a nurse to accompany me - I will pick up all her travel, stay and other costs and pay for her charges as well?

Yes. We will assist in arranging for nurse to accompany you and stay with you till such time as you need.

Is it necessary to undergo all the tests under the Plan? Can we not opt for only the blood tests?

The tests under the "Basic Plan" have been grouped comprehensively on the recommendation of senior general practitioners who have been handling patients for more than 25 years. These tests have been grouped in a way that any abnormalities are quickly identified for timely treatment.

My aunt is an advanced cancer patient and is bedridden. Can I register her under the Plan?

This will depend on her current condition and the care required. We will, after visiting her and consulting the doctors in whose care she is, decide on the same.

Will you organize giving of injections whenever recommended e.g. insulin, neurobion and the like?

Yes, we will assist in making arrangements for the same by medical or paramedical persons or trained nurses, depending on the requirements. This will be covered under the "Optional Services" at additional charge.

Does the annual Membership fee include the cost of medicines?

No, the Plan charge does not include the cost of medicines. We will facilitate delivery of the same to the home of the Member for which payment will have to be made directly by the Member. In case of need, we may agree to keep with us an agreed amount to cover the cost of medicines and pay for the same, and render the account from time to time as agreed.

My father lives alone in Mumbai and I live in the US. Every year, I bring him here to stay with us for 3 months. If I register him, will those months of absence be adjusted against the tenure of the Plan?

Yes, the benefit under the Plan will be suspended for 3 months and will be resumed by us on his return, which will be agreed in advance, on the receipt of intimation of travel, absence and return. He will receive services for 12 months in all.

What will be the situation if my father, who is registered for the Plan shifts to US permanently before the end of the Plan tenure? Will the balance money be refunded?

No. There is no refund policy. You can, however, nominate another person to receive services for the balance Plan Tenure. If the nominated member desires to undergo baseline tests, additional charges will be agreed upon depending on the tests required to be carried out. (Please see under "Membership").

My father who is 78 years old needs a walker and my mother, who is 75 years old, can walk by herself with the support of stick. They do not have very good control over urine. They do not agree to keep a car or driver since they do not need one on a regular basis. As a result, they avoid attending any social functions/ outings. I would like to make arrangements for them to go out time to time. Will such facilities be provided if I register them for your Plan?

Yes. We would suggest use of adult diapers (these are available in India ) and help them get used to their use when they go out. We will also arrange for a car and driver to take them to their desired destination and bring them back home. We can also arrange for escort, if required, to provide support to them. Please see the section "Optional Services".