Dedicated to keeping you in the home you love
Preferred Care at Home’s History
The First Agency
Since 1984, Preferred Care at Home has been a beacon of hope for families seeking reliable and affordable care. It all started with a vision to offer a quality of service that would allow seniors to age in place with dignity and grace. Recognizing the need for compassionate caregivers who could provide assistance without breaking the bank, our founders established the first agency with a commitment to excellence that continues to drive us today.
Going Nationwide
In 2007, recognizing that the need for quality senior care was not limited to one community, Preferred Care at Home began its nationwide expansion. This growth allowed us to bring our unique philosophy of care to families across the country. By partnering with like-minded individuals who shared our passion for service, we were able to extend our reach while maintaining the personal touch that defined our very first agency.
Today and Tomorrow
Today, Preferred Care at Home stands as a testament to the enduring power of compassionate care. We remain dedicated to our founding principles, constantly innovating to meet the evolving needs of our clients. As we look to the future, our mission remains unchanged: to improve the quality of life for those we serve, safeguarding their independence and dignity in the home they love.
How We Select Our Caregivers
Every caregiver who comes into your home has passed our 7-step screening process. Background checks, reference verification, skills assessments, and a personality evaluation designed to match each caregiver to the specific person they will be caring for. Our professional team of caregiver coordinators rejects the practice of assigning caregivers based upon availability alone. Good caregiving starts with planting the seeds of trust and friendship.
We refer only experienced and trained caregivers, including CNA and HHA professionals. If a match isn’t working, we find another. That is the standard this office holds itself to.
Why Choose Us?
- Singular focus: private home care
- No sales gimmicks or hidden fees
- 24/7 availability and support
- Expertly matched caregivers
- Committed to dignity and independence
- Quality services at affordable prices
Meet Our Director
Driven by Passion, Committed to Compassion
Roxanne Clark
Roxanne Clark leads the Chattanooga office as Director with a straightforward belief: the families of southeast Tennessee deserve care that shows up, stays consistent, and treats every person with dignity. That belief shapes how this office is run, from the way caregivers are selected to the way families are kept informed.
Under Roxanne’s leadership, the Chattanooga office has become one of the highest performing Preferred Care at Home franchises in the country, recognized with the Preferred Care at Home Pinnacle Award for production milestones and commitment to care. That recognition matters, but what matters more is what it reflects: a team that takes this work seriously, every day.
Roxanne has built the Chattanooga office around relationships, not transactions. When you call this office, you reach people who know southeast Tennessee, who understand the communities here, and who have spent their careers learning how to help families navigate some of the hardest decisions they will ever face.
Our Team
What sets the Chattanooga office apart is not just the Director. It is the team around her.
Six administrative staff support every client family in this office. Together, they bring more than 110 years of combined experience caring for older adults in southeast Tennessee. That is not a number pulled from a marketing document. It is the reality of what walks into the office every morning: people who have done this work long enough to have seen nearly every situation a family can face.
That depth means families are rarely caught off guard. When your parent is discharged from Erlanger and the discharge planner hands you a stack of instructions, we’ve seen that before. When a TennCare CHOICES application is pending and you need a provider who understands how to coordinate care during that window, we’ve done that before. When a family in Signal Mountain is managing everything from out of state and needs real-time updates from a caregiver in the home, that is exactly what the Transparency Room is built for.
Award Winning Senior Home Care
Local Care Throughout the Greater Chattanooga Area
Our team lives and works in Chattanooga and southeast Tennessee communities alongside the families we serve. When you call, you reach neighbors who understand Chattanooga.
We Serve:
- Apison
- Athens
- Cleveland
- Collegedale
- East Ridge
- Georgetown
- Harrison
- Lookout Mountain
- Lookout Valley
- Middle Valley
- Ooltewah
- Signal Mountain
- Snow Hill
- Soddy Daisy
- Walden
Frequently Asked Questions
Where in Chattanooga do you provide care?
We serve Chattanooga and communities throughout the southeast Tennessee region, including Signal Mountain, Lookout Mountain, East Ridge, Red Bank, Hixson, Ooltewah, Collegedale, Soddy-Daisy, and Harrison. Within Chattanooga, we cover neighborhoods from Brainerd and East Brainerd to North Chattanooga, St. Elmo, and beyond. Whether your loved one lives downtown, on Signal Mountain, or in a more rural part of Hamilton County, we are here to help.
What kind of help can caregivers provide?
Everything from companionship and conversation to hands-on assistance with bathing, dressing, and grooming. Caregivers help with meal preparation, light housekeeping, medication reminders, and transportation to appointments. We build care plans around each individual’s needs, from light help with errands a few hours a week to comprehensive daily support.
Is this only for elderly people, or can younger adults get help too?
While most of our clients are seniors, we also serve younger adults with disabilities and people recovering from surgery who need support living independently at home. Age is not the determining factor. Need is what matters.
Can care happen in an assisted living community, or just a private home?
We provide care wherever someone lives. Many southeast Tennessee families bring us into assisted living communities to provide extra personal attention beyond what the facility offers. We go where you need us, whether that is a private home, retirement community, or assisted living residence.
My parent was just discharged from a local hospital. Can you help with recovery?
Hospital-to-home transitions are among our most important services here in Chattanooga. Coming home after a stay at Erlanger, CHI Memorial, Parkridge, or any area facility can be completely overwhelming. Medications, follow-up appointments, rehabilitation exercises, diet changes. Our transition care program guides recovery and helps prevent the kind of readmission that sends so many elderly people back through those hospital doors. We make that transition smoother, step by step. Ask about our Smooth Transitions program.
What should I budget for home care in Chattanooga?
Costs depend on how many hours of care you need and what type of care makes sense. We start with clear, affordable rates and no long-term commitments. We will walk you through pricing so you can plan without surprises. Here is helpful information about paying for home care.
Does Medicare cover any of this?
Medicare typically does not cover non-medical home care like companionship, homemaker services, or personal care assistance. It may cover skilled nursing if a physician orders it after a qualifying hospital stay. We will help you understand what Medicare does and does not pay for so you can explore your options clearly.
We have long-term care insurance. Can you help with that?
Yes, and this is one of the things we do especially well. We are Long Term Care insurance experts. We can help you understand your policy, work with you to eliminate the elimination period on most plans, and assist with filing claims on your family’s behalf. Navigating an insurance policy in the middle of a care crisis is stressful. We take that burden off your plate. Contact us at (423) 531-8696 and we will walk through the process with you.
What about veteran benefits?
We are contracted directly with the VA and serve veterans throughout southeast Tennessee. With one of the largest veteran populations in the country right here in our community, this is something we take seriously. VA benefits can cover a meaningful portion of home care costs, and Aid and Attendance benefits offer additional financial support for qualifying veterans and their surviving spouses. We know this process well, and we will help your family navigate it.
Are there free programs or services we should know about?
Yes. The Chattanooga Department of Human Services and the Southeast Tennessee Area Agency on Aging connect families with local resources, including meal delivery programs, transportation assistance, and senior center programming. Explore free services for seniors to discover what may be available in your community. These programs can work alongside the care we provide.
How do I know caregivers are trustworthy?
We only refer caregivers with experience. Every caregiver goes through our rigorous 7-step screening process that includes background checks, reference verification, skills assessment, and personality evaluation. We do not place anyone in your loved one’s home that we would not trust in our own. Our commitment to quality starts before the first day of care.
Will my parent have the same caregiver, or will it be someone different each time?
The same caregiver. We match based on personality and care needs, then maintain that relationship. Consistency builds trust and genuine connection. Your loved one will not face a rotating door of strangers. If your regular caregiver needs a day off, we arrange qualified backup, but constant turnover is simply not how we work.
What if the personality match does not work?
Tell us immediately. We will find someone different. Personal chemistry matters enormously, especially when someone is helping with intimate daily tasks. We want your loved one comfortable, respected, and happy with their caregiver.
Are caregivers available 24/7, or only during business hours?
We provide access to non-medical senior home care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There is no minimum hours requirement. We work around your schedule, not the other way around.
Can you work with someone who has Alzheimer's or dementia?
Yes. Alzheimer’s and Dementia care is a specialty for us. Our caregivers are trained to communicate with compassion when memory fails, to create calm and familiar environments, and to maintain dignity as abilities change. southeast Tennessee families facing a dementia diagnosis trust us with their most vulnerable loved ones, and we treat that trust with the utmost care. Learn more about our dementia and Alzheimer’s care.
What about end-of-life care at home?
We provide compassionate support during life’s final chapter, working alongside hospice providers to help clients remain comfortable and cared for at home. We help with personal care, offer companionship, and give exhausted family members the respite they need. These are precious moments. We treat them with deep respect. Learn more about our end-of-life care services.
Do you offer specialized care for veterans?
We are contracted directly with the VA and are able to staff veteran care cases quickly when families need help most. We understand the unique needs of veterans and their spouses, and we take tremendous pride in serving this community. If your family member is a veteran seeking home care, call us at (423) 531-8696 and we will help you understand your options right away.
How do I begin the process?
Contact us by phone at (423) 531-8696 or by email at billtobin@preferhome.com. We will talk through your situation and schedule a complimentary in-home consultation at your convenience. There is no obligation. We will assess needs, answer questions, and explain clearly how we work. Think of it as getting acquainted before making any decisions.
What happens at that first meeting?
We sit down together and talk through daily routines, current challenges, and goals for care. We explain our services and pricing clearly and answer every question you have. The conversation usually takes about an hour and is relaxed and informative. We are not there to pressure you. We are there to help you think through what is best.
How quickly can care begin once we decide to move forward?
Usually within days. When families reach out, they often need help soon. We understand urgency and move as quickly as possible to get the right caregiver matched and in place.
Is there a contract or long-term commitment required?
No long-term commitments. We believe you should stay with us because the care is exceptional, not because paperwork locks you in. Needs change, and we stay flexible every step of the way.
What if care needs increase or decrease over time?
We adjust the plan. Maybe you start with a few hours of weekly companionship and later need daily personal care. Maybe intensive transition support is needed right after a hospital discharge and then scales back as recovery progresses. We adapt as situations evolve. Take this quiz if you are unsure what level of care makes sense right now.
My father refuses help and insists he is fine. How do I handle this?
Pride runs deep, and the fear of losing independence is powerful. Sometimes starting gently helps, introducing a caregiver through homemaker help or errands before moving to personal care. Once trust builds, acceptance often follows. Our caregivers know how to earn that trust without undermining dignity.
I live out of state but my parents are in Chattanooga. How will I stay informed?
Many adult children live in other cities or states while parents remain here in southeast Tennessee. We use an online portal called the Family Room where you can access caregiver schedules, visit confirmations, daily notes, and updates from anywhere in the world. Complete transparency is part of our commitment to keeping families connected and at peace. Learn about our Transparency of Care technology.
How does the southeast Tennessee climate affect home care?
We plan ahead for it. Southeast Tennessee presents unique seasonal challenges for elderly people. Summers bring intense heat and high humidity that raise the risk of dehydration and heat exhaustion, particularly for seniors who may not feel thirsty or who struggle to manage their home’s air conditioning. Tropical weather systems and hurricane threats require careful planning, especially for elderly people who may need evacuation help or who have medical equipment and medications that must be managed during emergencies. Winter cold snaps, while milder than in other parts of Tennessee, still bring frost and ice that make getting to appointments and moving safely around the home difficult. Our caregivers help families prepare for seasonal changes, including maintaining proper hydration, ensuring heating and cooling systems are working, stocking emergency supplies, and managing appointment adjustments during severe weather. Learn more about disaster preparation for seniors.
What does "celebrating life, dignity and independence" mean?
It means we believe home is everything to a senior. It is a window to their past, a safe haven for the present, and a legacy for the future. Our mission since 1984 has been to give elderly people the option to remain in their homes with dignity and independence intact. That is what drives us every day here in Chattanooga and across southeast Tennessee.
Preferred Care at Home of Chattanooga