If your loved ones need full-time care, you'll need to hire at least two caregivers. Nobody wants to work seven days a week, complications will arise in any aide's schedule, and turnover is really high in this field. Also, if you hire two in-home caregivers, they can trade off and you can protect yourself from being left in the lurch with no help. One way to ensure a smooth handoff is to schedule a half hour of overlap between their shifts so that they can debrief each other on any issues that may have come up during the prior day or shift. If they work on different days, ask them to keep notes in a designated notebook about changes in routine or any concerns.
If you hire the caregiver through an agency, ask about backup provisions for when your aide is sick or on vacation -- or if he or she quits the agency. Does the agency provide an alternate? Is there an extra charge for this service?
hi my name is kara davidson in im look for a job i love hleping ppl
Families and relatives: WATCH OUT for the untrustworthy home health aides and the greedy, unscrupulous companies that employ them! They will zone in on vulnerable, elderly people and get away with murder if you let them! Not all of them are outright dishonest, but many won't pass up the opportunity to rip off your family if the opportunity is there and is too good for them to pass up. Most of these home aides are not well off and not well educated. Nightmare stories abound about money and household possessions and medications disappearing. Don't let them fool you!
I worked for RAH I did several cases and each family I cared for liked me, it wasnt until I reported to my boss that there were some issues with other caeregivers that needed to be addressed. Suddenly I became the bad person and told that certainly families were doing better therefore they were going to do without assistance. ONLY to drive by and actually see my boss sitting there in front of their home taking a new caregiver in. I was/am the most honest caregiver out there and to this day it hurts that this Agency was unfortunately NOT looking after the client instead of addressing the concern and letting the family know they fired me. I am very unshamed for this company Right At Home Corona, Ca and saddens me when people ask me about different agency's being they know I'm an honest caregiver and have to say I'd prefer they try others.
hi, me and my wife were looking for a healthcare facility or live in home care, we wanted to apply... from west covina, CA... here's our contact no. (contact number removed)... i'm just migrated from philippines, im a graduate of BS Physical Therapy and Doctor of Medicine, now im looking for a job related in healthcare facility, coz i wanted to save money for future review class that i wanted to take...thank you
Hi Hilde, Thanks for your comment! To find a hospice provider in your area, please visit our Senior Living Directory, located here: ( http://www.caring.com/local ). From the directory homepage, simply enter your city, state and zip code, then select hospice, and you'll be taken to a list of potential providers who may be able to help you. We also include consumer ratings and reviews on provider pages, and hope in the future, you'll return to the directory and share your feedback about any providers with whom you've had a service experience. I hope that helps! Take care -- Emily | Community Manager
i just moved to NJ and my mom is in the Hospice Unit in the hospital in NY. I would like to bring her to NJ and would like some help as to what step and angencies I can contact for either home care of hospice. Thank you.
It is best to work for yourself, if you care for a child/children and know the person that you are working for either by word of mouth, or finding out yourself. Tell the person to call all the time at first to feel comfortable and let them know that you can be trusted and to get in touch with people that you have sat for before. Also, be a mum away from home, not a sitter/stranger. Look after the kids like they are your own and enjoy the day with them. Then it is a piece of cake. Because you will have fun and they will have fun. Incidentally, don't let the mum come home to a house that is a diabolical mess either. You wouldn't do it in your own home and you would make the kids pick up after them and you would feed them well and put the dishes in the dishwasher and clean up any messes that they have made and make yourself at home like they told you to. Have a nice cup of tea, lunch with the kids and then have fun with them again. The day goes faster and they love you for it as well.
I'm a caregiver.I have some experience in home care. I looking for a job.
I am looking for someone to help with my mom when I have to be out of town. This helped me know where to look.
Hi my name is stephanie castillo i live in victoria tx and im looking for a caregiver job im willing to work monday threw friday and if needed weekends i willing to work too my number is 361-571-3819 and i can start whenever there a opening thanks
This is a very good article. Some people are taking advantage of their employers which is not good. They need to have their own boundaries and work professionally.
If you would have been hiring CNA's and HHA's,that would have been more helpful.
I think the best website to hire a caregiver is ifindcare.com. They have compatibility matching which shows me the most relevant caregivers which saves a lot of time when searching for the perfect candidate.
Hello lyn/711, Unfortunately we do not have a way for caregivers like yourself to find caregiving work on our site. I do wish you the best of luck in finding what you are looking for. Perhaps you can find a facility in our local directory: http://www. caring.com/local that can help you find work. Take care -- Emily | Community Manager
Hello, im CNA,HHA..looking for a job.clean background,skilled nursing ,home care experience.
Hello bbylyn, Thank you for your comment. Unfortunately we do not have a way for caregivers like yourself to find caregiving work on our site. I do wish you the best of luck in finding what you are looking for. Take care -- Emily | Community Manager
Hi Filipino I'm looking for a caregiver job.
Hello benjaminwoodward, Thank you very much for your comment. If you'd like, you can post your question in our Ask & Answer section, here: ( http://www.caring.com/ask ). Take care -- Emily | Community Manager
Thanks for the article. How much do payroll preparation agencies typically cost? We are looking for an in-home caregiver for my mother-in-law, but money is tight. Any info is appreciated.
Everything was Helpful. Great Information! Thanks very much...
Thanks for this article! I've gotten to the point where I can't babysit my mother-in-law 24/7, and don't want to pass her around between my family and my sister-in-law's family until she dies. We had a terrifying incident yesterday, where she went out on the porch to read, and passed out due to heatstroke. She needs someone to make sure she eats, bathes, doesn't sleep all day, etc. At the moment, we're looking into Visiting Angels (www.visitingangels.com).
There are advantages and disadvantages to every choice one makes. Do I go with an agency and pay more or do I go with an independent caregiver and pay less? It is true that using an agency will cost more. You must decide if the difference in cost is worth it. I have met and hired independent caregivers for my agency and they are very caring and responsible. I have also not hired many applicants because of bad references, background checks, drug screen, or because I would not want that person taking care of my parents. These people still offer services directly to clients. With an agency you don't have to worry about the taxes. You don't have to worry about insurance and workers comp. The reason I charge more than an independent caregiver is not because I want to gouge the client, it is to cover the taxes (I pay an employers share of Social Security and Medicare), insurance (I carry fidelity bond, general liability bond, secondary auto, workers comp, Un-employment insurance, and crime bond). I also have a full-time Director of Nursing who does an assessment and developes a plan of care for each client. She conducts monthly supervisory visits to insure the care is being properly provided. Our phone is answered 24/7 by someone on our staff. If there is a problem or an emergency we are aware of it and we are working to resolve the problem. If someone is sick and cannot work the shift we are looking for a replacement. Our goal is to not miss a shift. We have two driving principles: To provide the same level of care we would expect for our parents and loved ones, and To be just and generous employers. We do everything we can to take care of our employees because we know they are the ones responsible for the care. As with everything else in life you must be diligent in your research, and often times what appears to be a good deal (based on price) ends up costing you more in real dollars or in headaches and heartache!
I did not know there is a Medicare part C plan. I learned something new.
Hi meohmy, Thank you for your post. Unfortunately, Caring.com's expertise is in eldercare and we don't have a lot of information for other types of caregivers. We do have an article about how to get paid to be a caregiver, but I am not positive it if applies to your situation as well. You can check out the article here: ( http://www.caring.com/articles/payment-for-family-caregiver ). I hope that's helpful. Take care, and good luck! -- Emily | Community Manager
my daughter is disabled 25 yrs old, and has been all her life, i do all her caregiving and always have, shes moving into a HUD apartment, she qualifies but i dont... but as long as i have no income i can live with her, but if i become her "live-in aide" then its a win win situation because then my income would not effect her rent, so i would have a job and be there for her 24/7 ... but i dont want to go thru an agency, and i heard thru the grapevine that medicaid will pay me.... but i have no clue where to begin to apply to do that... im in kentucky... any advice?
Thank you very much for the information.
Hi Boomer Buddy, Thank you very much for your question. If you'd like, you can post your question in our Ask & Answer section, here: ( http://www.caring.com/ask ). Take care -- Emily | Community Manager
Where is the best place to have Background checks done for In Home Care Givers?
I AGREE THAT AGENCIES TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEIR EMPLOYEES! I LEFT A COMMENT IN THE SECTION REGARDING TAXES, PAYING PRIVATE, etc. I WISH TO CAUTION ABOUT ANOTHER PROBLEM::: STEALING MEDS, ESPECIALLY VICODIN AND XANAX, ALLEDGEDLY TO SELL TO SCHOOL KIDS. THE MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL ANGUISH MY LOVED ONE WENT THROUGH IS UNFATHAMOBILE. THIS IS A DISABLED, SICK PERSON THAT I ENTRUSTED TO AN AGENCY!!! I CAN'T BE THERE 24/7. BE CAREFULL!!!!!
The comments about agencies paying us little or nothing is absolutely true. The paying agents/clients are charged exorbitant amounts especially for twenty-four hour services for which we are paid for only eight or ten hours. We are lucky to get $10.00 an hour. Most of these agencies do not have benefits we are onour own if for any reason we have to take some time off. As a result of the low pay some aides do not give of their best. Some agencies are so dishonest that they dock our pay one hour for lunch regardless of how many hours we work . That is unbelievable since we cannot leave the patient for an hour to sit and have lunch or to go buy lunch. Sometimes we cannot even have our lunch or when we try to have it we have to leave it to give care. I believe this is one of the most unappreciated jobs. I lift my hat to my colleagues in this field. Any one who can get private positions, go for it.
I recently went through the process of finding in-home care for my elderly mother. I was nervous about leaving her, and when I asked tough questions of the agency that was recommended to me, I was shocked to learn that after the initial intake process, they basically have almost no visibility to the actual day-to-day care! I interviewed 5 or 6 more agencies, and all but one uses care journals that sit in my mother’s home such that the agency really has very limited idea of what’s going on. I finally found an agency that uses a “point-of-care system.” I highly recommend this! I login at a website called “ClearCare” and I can see what is happening every day. I know when my mom’s caregiver clocks in at her house, and when she completes specific tasks. I’m alerted if the caregiver does not arrive on time or if something isn’t done properly. This has been a very difficult process for me, but I do find peace of mind in knowing exactly what’s happening every day.
I have watched a good friend just be totally overrun by a caregiving company. One was caught stealing, she got reassigned. And is the title companion/housekeeper a way of saying CNA cost for housekeeping and unwanted conversation. Should I feel uncomfortable about a caregiver not being experienced in dealing w/alzheimer's patients,which is factored in this equation. My friend has put her coffee in the same spot for 20 years. Gets up to make coffee 1 morning and it is nowhere to be found. Truthfully, the worst thing possible to people w/ this condition is people coming to there home and moving stuff around. They already have it hard enough without any help.
Hi August, You have contacted Caring.com, which is a website for people taking care of their elderly loved ones. Were you perhaps trying to contact a health care agency that is listed on our site? You can find our local resources page here: http://www.caring.com/local Best -- Emily | Community Manager
my husband and myself are looking for an In -Home Caregiving job.We're both Filipino.
After using agencies for 3+ yrs., we are now hiring an independent caregiver for my mom. We are trying to make our money stretch, and this new person is the cheaper way to go. A friend of mine gave me her name/number and said that her previous family gave her high marks for her care expertise.
Wife has Alzheimers and finally gave in to activating our long term care ins. Have agency caregiver (2nd agency) and am totally satisfied. and from a psychological view -a great relief . I no longer droop over the kitchen sink at 3pm preparing our dinner. Right now satisfied 3x/week for 3 hours per . Feel like great weight off my shoulders and know will eventually increase time.Mentally not depressed anymore and wife appreciates .
Differentiating caregiver services and pros & cons of agency vs employing on own
There are some excellent advantages to caregivers and the clients when caregiving services are provided by self employed, screened and bonded caregivers who have clean background checks immediately before being offered cases by a 1099 form of senior home care company. The party that loses most is the govermnent, because unemployment taxes don't have to be paid in, and most people never draw on unemployment benefits, because they need to work. The saving of those funds payable to the government allow 1099 forms of companies to pay their caregivers more than the $8 to $8.95 per hr that most senior care companies pay caregivers. Also, the caregivers can keep up with every mile of their auto mileage from home to work and back, as well as transportation between multiple clients during the day and other business expenses as a contractor,and deduct 100% of that off their 1099 income, which salaried employees cannot do, except if traveling between two cases during work day. There are definite advantages to one being her/his own "boss", like having the option to not take the little 1 and 2 hr cases that so many employee form of companies require their employees to take, as well as cases that are so far from home the gas usage is not worth the few hours worked or the small salary paid to drive to the job and home. With a 1099 form of company, the caregiver is allowed to deduct that expanse. Over the course of a year that can be a very large deduction. They do not lose social security benefits, because those are paid on their 1040 income tax return every year. They work for companies that are licensed and inspected by the state with the same inspectors that inspect W-2 types of businessses, and must meet the exact same standards of care and inspection. Just because someone is an indepent contractor does not mean that they are not insured. W-2 forms of senior care companies try to discredit the 1099 form of companies, but the caregivers have the same certifications, such as cnas, med techs, lpns, etc. As for Preferred Care at Home of Nashville and Middle TN, I do not train new, inexperienced caregivers and send them out to gain their beginning experience our clients, as many of the biggest senior home care companies do. I only offer caregivers with 2 or more (and most have 5 or more) years of experience with a licensed home care agency or resident facility. Our quality of caregivers is the higest available, and we provide an extra measure of services that many don't, including preparation of hot meals and full housekeeping, exercise encouragement and particupation, and engaging care to keep clients moving and ambulatory, if appropriate, while also reducing fall risk through strength enhancement and maintenance, stimulating mental activities thorogh games, journaling with or for them, urging them to continue with hobbies and simple household activities that they enjoy. At Preferred Care at Home, we Motivate clients to Move, in order to Maintain Mobility while providing Compassionate, Reliable, and Affordable Care.
I totally understand caregivers wanting to be paid via cash & they do work very hard around the clock. However, filing thru 1099 & taking out the necessary taxes is also beneficial for their future as it helps them accumulate working credits into social security so that they can have social security & health benefits in their future retirement. I have also read that if you, as the private Employer are reporting & paying this thru 1099 that you can write off the monthly caregiver expenses you are paying on your taxes.
Hi diallo, You have contacted Caring.com, which is a website for people taking care of their elderly loved ones. Were you perhaps trying to contact a health care agency that is listed on our site? You can find our local resources page here: (http://www.caring.com/local). I hope that helps-- Emily
hi iam looking for a job are you hiring people right now
Hi susan acevedo, Thanks for your comment. Caring.com has a great local directory where you can find the right care for your father in your area! Just type in your city and stage, select the type of care you're looking for, and hit search (http://www.caring.com/local?type=personal-home-care). Thanks again for your comment -- Emily
im looking for in care for my father
Hugs Amy123
i would like to apply to take care elderly people
Hugs Amy123
How to apply?
All of your points are valid. Every situation is different; taking on the responsibility of hiring and managing a private caregiver is a major commitment. What happens if your caregiver abruptly quits? It's a good idea to educate yourself thoroughly to ensure you're up for this task, and to have a back-up plan which can be a relationship with a home care company. Your company can fill-in if your caregiver has planned or unplanned time off. The company I represent conducts background checks & drug tests; we also value our caregivers as they are the foundation of our business. We offer ongoing training, quarterly awards and recognition of achievements and even annual bonuses.
@ macoy: Independent in-home workers are sometimes mistrusted by older people sometimes, and often for good reasons. People who are ONLY money-driven often come without BONDING or LICENSING so that background checks must be performed by the intended client, a relative, or concerned neighbor. Agencies do ALL that paperwork and will take the hit if an employee steals from a client or causes a client any injury. I ran my own one-woman "show" in the 90's and darned near put myself into a permanent state of debilitating injuries and extreme fatigue. You really need to have some start-up cash so you can hire good, solid, dependable people who have NO CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS (the money comes in handy for doing all those criminal background checks, bonding and insuring each one of them, getting them ID badges and "uniforms" [identifiable clothing that sets your agency apart from the rest]). The long and the short of it is that inhome agencies spring up and fall down into the abyss every day. The good ones have been around for years (sometimes) and know how to handle both their client base and employees. Right now is probably NOT A GOOD TIME TO DO A START-UP.
ya agencies are really not fair in terms of wages and being an independent caregiver is the best way to get paid (cash) of what you worked for, but the question is how can you get clients/patient without dealing with agencies. anybody?
Hi everybody. The comments from the agency are wrong.We ,as a caregivers are licensed,by the Dept,Of Health,Paid for our training (lots of money)our backgroung is checked for all NAR and CNA,tha's why we do carry license,and what agency do for us??Nothing-send us to people homes,to take care of them and we do not even get half of the money people paying for us.and agency people don't know how we look or who we are.They hust see our papers.If I am employed by private person ,I pay my taxes and social security .That's why IRS has form 1091 for people like us.If we fell down at work people get home insurance to cover us.Also people who hire us can be our employer and pay taxes and Soc.security.I worked for the agency which is charging people for my care $29 and hour and I get only$12 an hour,agency charged $380 for 24 hours and I am working for $170dol for 24 hours care,sometimes with 2-3 hours of sleep.I am wonder if the owner of the agency will do our work,for the money he pay us.Just imagine why agency have to send another caregiver if one quit.Beause the responsibility and job is too much for us for too little money. Family who hires us through the agency don't know this .Family thinks that tehy pay more then enough for us to do all the job-diapers and transfers and job at nightwhen their love one needs us.If we will have an accident on the job tha agency dose not pay us.Labor and Industry pay us ,because agency pay premium for us.It is simple mathematic why Agency discourage people from hiring us privately-$ 380 for 24 hours -$170 for a caregiver =$210 benefits for the agency in one night for our hard ,dedicated work.They why according to agency rule we can not discussed pay with the people we taking care of. Sorry for mistakes,ut I hope it will show you light on Home Care Industry. Thanks for reading.
I ,now work in a nursing home after ten years plus as a home health aide,and i have worked for several eldely people of all race ,put when you decide this what you are going to do and you are only in it for the money and steal off this elderly people then you are the one that has a problem and i have seen this ,ever aide should have a back ground check and finger printed,and I am going back into home health ,when i started home health I was trained that you was taking care of your parents or grandparents.
I will like to apply for Elderly care Jobs.
This article was very helpful. Following the links, I learned important details and picked up pieces of wisdom to be sure I include in my hiring. One significant point that we face is that my Mom is 30 miles from the agency offices in another community. Therefore, we would pay additional time for travel or a flat per trip fee. We have found an independent with solid references and a track record of good work in our community. Thanks be to God!
My name is angeline and i have worked for nurseing homes for so many years, i have seen how they are treated. Its about 8 years now that iam doing homecare by word of mouth. If anyone out their needs me to care for your loved one,you can email me at angeline.a@sbcglobal.net. You can check me. Iam honest, reliable and i do what iam told. Very independent. thanks.
I Have a 12yr old with DMD, and I need someone 3 hrs/day, Mon.- Fri., to be at our house when he gets off the bus from school. Currently I leave work 3hrs early each day (2 weeks&counting), testing the limits of my Boss' understanding/ patience. There are no chores or cooking, just be at our home for supervision/ safety assistance. A Sitter will cost $10hr, that's $600mo. and i cant afford that. He recieves straight medicaid w/ssi. If anyone has any advice for some caring help, Gov. Vouchers, or info that is working for you in simular case, I would be greatful..... "It's just my Son and I, trying to jump the next hurdle" God willing :-))
Allof it was helpful
The poor person that works for those greedy health care companies get paid minimum wages, no mileage, supposed to pay out of pocket (in case the client does not have enough cash for their grocceries) never mind that the people doing this job are exploided to the get go and only receive minimum wages drive up to 25 miles one way with no reimbursement and can be charged with elder abuse abd neglect if they do not show up to a shift. The burden is tremendous and the leagal liability ends up with the poor underpaid caregiver, while the owners of those comapnies are only all out for the money...yes most of them are filthy rich because the federal government pays them well...what ever you do...stay the cash route and stay independent...and most of all do not listen to the lies you are told by those agencies...all they are out for is the mighty dollar...that's right
For myself I do strictly cash. I provide an excellant service to my families and the additional paperwork isn't worth the hassle. I won't work any other way. I have been doing this work for six years. I just finish my third family, after 2 years and over 5000 hours.
Prayers toni j
While independant caregivers are usually cheaper, they are only cheaper when you pay cash. I lost a wonderful caregiver because after three years of cash payments I hired her 1099. After she filed her taxes she had to pay and wasn't very happy. I know its not my fault she didn't save any money to pay taxes but should I have kept paying cash since I was coming out ahead and saving money? I ended up going to an agency and paying 50% more and my mother died less than a year later.
I know that, at least in Texas, when an elderly person becomes homebound, Medicare/Medicaid will pay for a Home Health Aide/Personal Care attendant to come in for a set number of hours. My mother is at that stage now and we are having to pay for private care because we don't know how to go about getting insurance to pay for it. Any suggestions?
This was very helpful! When my mother's health degraded to the point that my father needed a live-in helper for her, they went the independent path. My sisters and I are uncomfortable with the way the caregiver is paid in cash. It always seemed too overwhelming to negotiate the paperwork to pay taxes on her salary. I didn't know there were services available to do that for us. I will definitely check those out!