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When
the time comes in your client’s life when he or she can
no longer do things on their own, or they require a
little extra help and attention, they must face a choice
about what type of care they will hire.
There are many options as
to agencies, contract, and individual care providers.
Each option has many considerations to examine before
choosing which is the right choice. |
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Before making a choice, your client may want to consider
these questions:
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What kind of caregiver do I need?
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How do I find a caregiver?
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of private
caregivers vs. agency caregivers?
The
type of caregiver one needs is determined by their
abilities or lack thereof. Caregiving assistance can be
as simple as making healthy meals and doing light
housekeeping, or it can be as complex as managing
24-hour care for clients with Alzheimer’s or other
debilitating diseases.
Finding a caregiver may be more daunting than one
imagines. There are hundreds of registered individual
caregivers, contractors, and agencies in urban areas.
Getting referrals from trusted friends or family, as
well as from the local Better Business Bureau and/or
local and state agencies, are your client’s best bet in
locating a reliable, reputable agency or caregiver.
Since there are so many choices, your client will want
to know why an agency or individual caregiver is the
best choice. An individual caregiver may be less
expensive, but there will also be certain
responsibilities on the part of your client — the one
who does the hiring of the individual caregiver. They
will have to cover liability and taxes for the
caregiver, as well as do background checks and other
vetting procedures to ensure their safety and security.
According to John C. Gilliland II, legal counsel for
National Private Duty Association, “In-home care and —
depending on the circumstances — liability could fall on
the client or the client’s family — something they are
rarely aware of.”
With an agency, the cost may be a bit higher for care,
but your client is getting a full-service package, in
that the agency covers all the caregiver’s expenses,
taxes, and insurance, as well as does background checks
and vetting. An agency also provides training and
scheduling to ensure that your client is well attended.
In summary, independent and contract caregivers may come
at a lower cost to the client, but in the long run they
may end up paying more out of pocket to cover insurance
and liability, as well as non-financial costs in making
sure they have caregivers when they need them. |
