FAQ

SeaStar’s owner, Niki Tucker, has over twenty years experience working with seniors and vulnerable adults. She is a licensed social worker and certified care manager. Over the past twenty years she has worked as a care coordinator in senior low income housing, as a private care manager, as a professional legal guardian, as an Executive Director at an assisted living facility, and she helped set up and run a successful home care and care management company for over ten years.

The client's safety and well-being is our number one goal.  Everything SeaStar does is with that goal in mind - hiring, training, supervising, policies and procedures - ensuring clients' needs are met.

SeaStar is not a franchise, so there are no franchise fees to pay or pass along to our clients.  We can modify our services to suit our clients, based on their needs - not policies written by someone who has never stepped foot in Portland. We provide services in the Portland metro area, including SW Washington

SeaStar’s sedans and wheelchair vans are owned by the company - not the companions. So you can be guaranteed these cars are insured and maintained on a regular basis, for the client's peace of mind.

 Vetted employees

SeaStar provides full training to all employees including CPR.  We run background checks on each one, as well as drug tests prior to hiring. We run driver’s record checks if they will be driving our clients and make sure they are able to be covered on our company’s insurance policy.  We check references.  And, we pay well above minimum wage so that we attract the best employees.

Prior to assigning a companion to a client, we do a full assessment of the client's physical, emotional, and cognitive needs. With this information, we can ensure that the companion we are sending to them is able to provide the care necessary to meet those needs.  We match the companion based on their experience, skills, and personality to work with the assigned client. If for some reason it does not work out to be a good match, the client has the right to request someone else.

When choosing SeaStar, the client has the security of knowing that no shift will go uncovered.  If a companion is unavailable, we have other trained companions available who can step in and help out in their absence.  

SeaStar does require a minimum shift of two hours for outings, and four hours for in home companionship. There are no minimum number of shifts required.  

Care management is a service that helps clients achieve the highest quality of life and independence they can.  Our care managers coordinate the care clients need - arrange and escort to medical appointments, ensure follow up appointments or specialty appointments are made, help obtain other services such as home care or move assistance, and provide consultation services for families as they navigate the unchartered waters of an aging parent.

Anyone can call themselves a care manager - there is no license or education required to start providing this service.  Many care managers become care managers after taking care of their own aging parents, and then transferring that skill to other families. At SeaStar, we believe that a comprehensive assessment and a robust care plan are key to ensuring clients needs are met appropriately. Because of this, it has been our philosophy to hire MSW's - those who have been specifically educated on how to conduct a thorough assessment and how to create specific, individualized care plans.  Not only that, those who have obtained a Master's Degree in Social Work have training in social justice, advocacy, integrity, dignity,  competency, service, and self-worth of the individual, so clients can be assured of the professional service they are receiving.