There is a lot of information out there about whether you should hire private caregivers vs. an agency. Here are some key issues to consider when deciding what route to take.
A Place at Home Provides Agency Caregivers at Home
What this means to our clients is that our caregivers are thoroughly screened including national background checks for criminal, driving, elder/child abuse, drugs, and sex offender. APH caregivers are insured and bonded, go through a rigorous hiring process, and trained thoroughly on specific care needs, all the while, focusing on being professionally excellent with your loved ones! APH will also pair client and caregiver based on caregiver specialties and personality characteristics.
https://www.facebook.com/aplaceathome/videos/951821084849052/A Place at Home receives dozens of applications for employment. The select few who pass the initial screening and phone interview then are asked to come in for a personal interview. Those who receive a personal interview have a hiring ratio of 1 to 5 applicants meaning we are very selective. Our motto is if we would not put them with our family we would not put them with yours!
So what are private caregivers?
Although they can cost less per hour then agency caregivers, you still need to be selective and weary of “hidden” costs.
- Private caregivers rarely are insured and if are injured at your home, home owners insurance rarely will cover a private caregiver. Workers compensation for injury could fall on your loved one.
- You typically do not know the background of the caregiver, even if you hired family or a friend. When hiring a private caregiver be sure to do your due diligence and complete all needed background checks both nationally and at the state level.
- Private caregivers are rarely bonded as well. Be sure to ask this on initial meeting with them.
- Private caregivers rarely have anyone to hold them accountable for their actions. This could mean: receiving a bill for care you did not receive, not having a back-up in case the caregiver were to become sick, and even things such as car problems could result in the caregiver not showing up.
Ultimately we are not advocating against private caregivers, just simply encouraging all of our potential clients to do their research. If you have first hand experience dealing with private caregivers, we encourage you to share your experience with us and our clients on Facebook or Twitter.
