When your loved one is ready to accept in home care in San Diego, you have two choices: hiring a home care agency or hiring a private caregiver. A licensed home care agency will work with you and your loved one to develop a care plan, commit to covering your desired schedule with qualified caregivers, and handle all the administrative responsibilities for its employees. A private caregiver can also be a qualified caregiver who will commit to your desired schedule but is (typically) your employee for whom you’ll have to handle paperwork, payroll, and personal absences. How do you choose between a private caregiver for your loved one or an in-home care agency in San Diego?
Remember that there’s a difference between in home care and home health care which we discussed in our recent blog post “Do You Need Home Care or Home Health?” Once seniors and their families realize that home care is the right option, they need to decide whether to use a licensed home care agency or hire an independent caregiver directly. We’ve made a list of the pros and cons for each option to help you choose the best home care solution.
Advantages of a Home Care Agency
A reputable agency employs the caregiver and:
- Conducts a background check,
- Verifies certifications and skills,
- Confirms references and experience,
- Manages payroll and scheduling,
- Requires periodic training, especially whatever is regulated by the state,
- Arranges coverage for any shifts that the caregiver can’t work,
- Has a process for handling a caregiver accused of stealing or other improper behavior, including suspension, investigation, and any required reporting,
- Should be bonded, insured, and have worker’s compensation coverage as a reputable employer,
- Has connections in the community and can help find other resources as necessary.
Downsides of Hiring a Home Care Agency
An in home care agency will be more expensive than an independent caregiver because of all those advantages. Those costs are factored into the hourly rate. Finally, you are hiring the agency, not the individual caregivers, so you have minimal control over staffing.
Advantages of Hiring a Private or Independent Caregiver
A private caregiver is your employee, so you take on much more responsibility in exchange for the benefits of:
- Lower cost, since you are paying the caregiver’s wage directly,
- Greater control over who takes care of your loved one,
- Direct communication with the private caregiver instead of through the agency manager,
- More freedom in defining caregiver duties, because agencies are bound by state laws that regulate the tasks caregivers can perform.
Disadvantages of Hiring a Private Caregiver
When you hire a caregiver directly, you are hiring a household employee because you determine what work is done, when it is done and where it is done. As an employer:
- You’re likely liable if an accident or other incident occurs on the job ie. in the home
- You’re responsible for covering for an independent caregiver who must call off or who doesn’t show,
- You’re responsible for assessing the skill level of the caregiver, especially if your loved one has limited mobility, dementia, or specific hands-on care needs,
- You’re responsible for calculating and delivering accurate pay,
- You’re legally responsible for filing payroll taxes, keeping tax forms, and verifying that the caregiver can legally work in the U.S.
The main determining factor in this decision once you know the responsibilities each option will place on you is your self-assessment. If you work with a home care agency, you and your loved one are their client. If you choose to hire a private caregiver, you will have to be an employer with all the burdens and risks that entails. The best way to be confident that you’re making the right choice for your loved ones is to be prepared before their caregiving needs become urgent. There are many resources in addition to this blog that will help you ask the right questions of both agencies and caregivers, including this list of Hiring Tips from the San Diego County District Attorney’s office and our recent blog “How to Choose a Home Care Agency.”