Frequently asked questions
If your question isn't here, call or text or email. The free 30-minute consultation answers most of them.
How soon can you come?
The free 30-minute phone consultation is usually within 1–2 business days. The Technology Wellness Assessment is typically within a week of the consultation. From signed proposal to working system is usually another 1–2 weeks. So most clients go from first call to working system in 2–3 weeks. If something is urgent (a recent fall, a parent locked out), tell us on the first call and we'll work the schedule.
How do I know I can trust you in my parent's home?
A few things, in this order:
- Background-checked. We'll show you the report on request.
- Bonded and insured. General liability, errors and omissions, cyber liability, and a $10,000 service bond. Certificates available as a PDF.
- CAPS-certified. The National Association of Home Builders' Aging in Place credential. View the certificate (PDF).
- Forty years engineering large-scale technology. A career building reliability-critical systems at some of the world's largest technology companies. References available.
- Local. Based in Fairview. We're twenty minutes from your parent's house.
If trust still doesn't feel built, the right move is to start with an hourly visit ($125/hr, two-hour minimum) before committing to a full system. You meet us, watch us work for an hour, and decide.
What if my parent doesn't like Alexa?
It happens, and we plan for it. The assessment is partly a "does this senior actually want voice technology in their life" check. If the answer is no, we don't install Alexa. There are smart-home options that don't require voice (automatic lights, smart bulbs and LED strips, smart plugs, and lighting routines you control from a phone), and plenty of value in a home that simply lights itself well.
We'd rather walk away from a job than install a voice assistant in a home where the senior is not on board.
What can an Amazon Echo Dot (Alexa) actually do in my home?
More than most people expect. Connected to your lights, shades, thermostat, leak detectors, and more, an Echo Dot lets you run the house just by asking, plus reminders, entertainment, and easy calls to family without picking up a phone. We wrote up five plain-language ways it helps: The Echo Dot: The Heart of a Smarter Home.
What if a device breaks?
Hardware is covered by the manufacturer's warranty. We'll help you file the claim and get the replacement set up. If a device stops working because of a Wi-Fi problem, a power cut, or an account change, that's not a hardware defect. A quick hourly visit gets it sorted.
Do you accept long-term care insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid?
Not directly. We're a residential technology service, not a medical provider, so we don't bill insurance.
Some long-term care policies and Veterans Affairs Aid and Attendance benefits do reimburse for aging-in-place technology. Whether yours does depends on your specific policy. If you'd like, we can provide an itemized invoice with the language commonly required by these programs ("aging-in-place modification," "medical alert system installation"), and you submit it for reimbursement.
For Medicare, the answer is generally no. Medicare doesn't cover home modifications or smart-home technology.
Will you teach my parent, or just install?
Both. Every install includes training. We leave a printed how-to sheet, and if they want additional training it can be provided at our hourly rate.
What areas of DFW do you serve?
We're based in Fairview. Service area:
- No trip fee: within 20 miles of Fairview. Covers Allen, Lucas, Plano, McKinney, Frisco, Wylie, Murphy, Sachse, Lavon, Princeton, and parts of Dallas.
- $30 trip fee: 20–35 miles, including most of Dallas, Garland, Richardson, Carrollton, The Colony, Prosper.
- By special arrangement: beyond 35 miles.
What's the difference between Senior IT of Dallas-Ft Worth and a regular IT shop?
A few specific things:
- Trained for this client population. The CAPS credential covers the home and the daily life of someone aging at home. Generic IT shops don't have it.
- Patient. We plan for the install to take longer than the technical work would take alone, because the training is the point.
- Pricing posted. No hidden fees, no quotes that grow.
- Boundaries written down. The "what we don't do" list is on every quote and the Service Agreement. Most IT shops don't put that on paper.
- Personal and attentive. A family business, not a call-center rotation. You work with us directly, and you see a familiar face every visit.
That said, if your parent just needs a printer set up, a general IT shop will probably do it cheaper. SRIT is for the situations where the senior matters more than the device.
Can I get a quote without the in-home assessment?
Yes. If you're prescriptive about what you want, we're happy to provide you a quote within 48 hours.
How do I pay?
Credit or debit card, or Zelle. Payment terms vary by service:
- Hourly visits: invoiced at completion, due within 7 days.
- System installs: 50% to schedule the install, 50% on completion.
- Support plans: billed monthly; cancel anytime.