Is it better to hire an in-home senior caregiver through an agency or to hire someone independently?

Advantages of hiring a caregiver through an agency
You get better services. For instance, agencies have history checks of the caregivers and confirm their license and experience, and the agencies deal with the wage amount and the timetable. In well-known agencies, the caregivers must regularly train different subjects and abilities administrated by state requirements. “Private caregivers tell us about their background and skills, but we cannot prove what they say,” says Lambert. The best benefit of using an agency is that they do all the work. “If a personal caregiver stops working or does not come for a shift, you have to find a substitute,” Lambert says. “An agency will put some else in his or her place, or you have to do the work yourself.” Another case is that if an agency caregiver is charged with stealing or other offences, usually the agencies inform the authorities, prevent the caregiver from doing work during the inquiry, and report to the state department of human services. “Employing by an agency brings comfort as for legal responsibilities,” says Lambert.

Drawbacks of agency caregivers
You have to pay more to an agency compared to a private caregiver. Agencies have to pay their employees and their insurance also liability insurance as well as payroll. Therefore the agencies added these to the hourly rate; the average hour price in 2019 was $23. You cannot be sure that they will send the same caregiver every day. Even you or the older adult may not like the caregiver, you can tell the agency, but the manager may not deal with the case as you wish. You will surrender because you are not responsible for employing and firing.

Benefits of hiring independent caregivers
“The most important reason people employ private caregivers is because of low pay,” Lambert says in 2018, the average cost was $17 according to http://care.com/. Other reasons for hiring private caregivers are: You have more control over the caregiver in taking care of your loved ones. “Many people want to choose a private caregiver for their loved one,” Eckford says. You can easily talk to a private caregiver yourself; you have more freedom in giving the duties agencies are limited by state law in administering the responsibilities of the caregivers.

The downsides of hiring a private home caregiver
Probably you save money by employing a private caregiver, but you have to spend more time on history checks, payrolls, and taxes. Some people get liability insurance for theft or injury related to how much they trust the caregiver. You also have to pay for legal services in case that the caregiver charges the family with violence or sexual advances. “If you have experienced this will be a usual procedure; otherwise, you have to study the situation carefully,” says Eckford.