Caution! Continued from yesterday

As mentioned yesterday, you might be tempted to hire a caregiver directly.  I can gaurantee that you will pay less per hour on care at home for your loved one.  But you need to be aware of other costs.  Some of these might hit your pocket book and others can drain your time, create frustration, put you at risk for loss, and

Do You REALLY Know Who You Are Hiring? 

One way to get to know the applicant is to ask lots of open ended questions about experience, skills, qualifiations, interests, etc.  Most applicants are skilled in providing all the right answers.  Unless you are uniquely qualified and experienced with interviewing, screening and evaluating potential employees, even if you have all the right questions and answers, you may end up hiring the wrong person.

Reputable home care agencies will only interview candidates who are first screened with thorough reference checks, verification of prior employment and verification of certifications and education.  A good home care agency will also conduct a a criminal background check and driver's license record check prior to hiring a caregiver for you. Hiring only those caregivers who pass these rigorous screenings and checks will protect you from the risk of loss of property or worse, harm to you or your loved one.

Last but not least, you do not want to unintentionally break the law by hiring someone who is not authorized to work in the United States. A trustworthy home care agency will know which documents are required (and will keep up with changing requirements) necessary to verify identity.  They will also know how to file the proper paperwork so that you can rest assured you have a legal worker in the home.

Aging Never Stops - Neither Should Caregiver Education!

Each stage of the aging process presents the caregiver with new challenges such as incontinence, difficulty with ambulation, refusing to eat, depression, dementia, loss of interest, etc.  Your loved one could experience unneccessary discomfort if the caregiver you hire directly does not have access to ongoing education about the aging process.  The best home care agencies have established, required, and ongoing training programs for the caregivers they hire.  The agency insures that the caregivers have the time and all the resources they need to complete the training.  Through these training programs, the caregivers gain skills along with a great sense of achievement as they complete each course.  This translates into happy, confident and compassionate caregivers for you.

Surprise! Life is a Juggling Act 

It is important to remember that the caregiver you hire has a life outside of the work life. Carefully consider a plan to cover your loved one's care in the event that the caregiver you hire comes down with the flu, has a sick child, has to leave town for a family emergency or needs a vacation.  Will you have a back up caregiver waiting in the wings?  Will you take time off work to take care of your loved one?  A responsible home care agency has a large enough staff to provide coverage when life's unexpected surprises spring up.  You can rest easy knowing that every client's case is professionally managed and supervised by a good home care agency.

Do You Know What You Don't Know? 

If you are an experienced expert in caring for seniors, then you know what you need to know.  If not, you don't.  This means, you might not be fully aware of your loved one's needs for proper care.Being unaware of what you need to know could put your loved's health, safety or security at risk or you might employ a caregiver for more than what you need and overpay for unnecessary services.  Home care agencies are experienced in developing appropropriate care plans specifically customized to meet your needs and exceed your expectations without costing you more.

Everyone's Favorite Topics: Insurance and Taxes (Ugh)

If you hire someone directly, you need to be aware of and make sure you are insured for certain risks in or around the home. You might have risks for property damage or theft. Or worse, you could be liable for injury to a caregiver in your home. Also, if you employ a private caregiver, you might have to withhold and report state, federal taxes and you could possibly be liable for unemployment claims.

If you do hire a caregiver directly, you should consult with a tax consultant, an attorney and an insurance agent. If you don't want to deal with these headaches, you should look for a reputable agency that has professional and liability insurance and who will take care of all the payroll and taxes for the caregiver that is assigned to your home.