As we age, our day to day activities are disrupted by ill health, poor memory, and other complications. Although difficult to admit, there comes a time when a person you love may need assistance with everyday activities to ensure they don’t injure themselves. Finding a competent individual for this task can be quite challenging, though. Luckily, there are services you can avail for senior care
When looking for daily caretakers for your elderly loved one, you’ll come across two options: private caregivers and home care agencies. Although both are widely used by patients, it’s important to understand which one will make you feel more comfortable. That’s why we’ve listed some options to help you out.
Background Check
When you hire a caretaker, you’re placing your family member and their home in the hands of a stranger. It is imperative that the caretaker is reliable and keeps the patient’s best interest in mind at all times.
An extensive network of professionals runs home care agencies. Anyone they hire has to go through a strenuous interview and background check process before they are hired. Their credentials, skills, and past experiences with patients are all assessed through reliable channels to ensure authenticity.
Unlike home care agencies, when you hire a personal carer, the onus of the background test lies on you. You can ask for credentials and experience, but the information you are provided with will be entirely dependent on what the caregiver tells you.
Of course, you can always do more extensive research before you hire someone. At the end of the day, it depends on which background check process will give you more peace of mind.
Taxes and Insurance
Hiring anyone comes with the added responsibility of payrolls and filing taxes. And a caregiver for your elderly family member is no exception.
When you hire from a home care agency, the company pays its employees and files taxes. Additionally, their workers are also given worker’s comp insurance to protect both workers and clients in the case of any accidental injuries.
However, once again, with a personal caregiver, all the work is on your shoulders. Not only will you have to pay the taxes and report their income to the IRS to ensure everything is legal, but you also will be held liable if the worker gets injured on the job.
Affordability
Since the home care agency takes care of everything when the patient is under their supervision, they charge more than a private caretaker. However, most home care agencies also accept insurance for payment reductions.
Of course, a personal caregiver is a much cheaper option, but they come with the added cost of your labor and responsibility. With a home care agency, there is no cause for worry regarding your loved one’s well-being.
Looking for a trustworthy home health care agency in Long Island? At Bethesda Elite Care, we offer professional personal health aid by healthcare workers who are personally vetted to ensure your loved ones are in safe hands.
Contact us today to inquire more about our services.
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