safe hire

Safely Hire a Home Care Provider

How to safely hire someone to help around the home has been a concern for as long as people having been employing others for assistance. Finding the right person can be time consuming and filled with challenges. If you knew people who could help or where to look, they’d already be helping. So, at some point you may consider hiring a home care provider for assistance. The first place people usually look is on the Internet, and ultimately on Craigslist, where there are people looking for home care jobs.

Hiring a Stranger from Craigslist for Home Care Could Be Trouble

Hiring a stranger for this kind of important service isn’t easy. You need them to be caring, capable and reliable—and trustworthy enough to work in your home. People you encounter on Craigslist could be “anyone”—you simply don’t know and you’re putting yourself at risk. Because you don’t know them, you also don’t know their skill level or committment to providing care.

Hire Safely: There are serious benefits of getting help through an agency.

Why is it better to go through an agency? Here’s a short list of reasons:

An Agency Ultimately Delivers a Lower Cost

When you hire someone independent, the law says you are their employer. As such, you are required to pay all necessary compensation charges including taxes, social security, and other benefits. However, when you go through an agency to hire a home care specialist, the agency only charges you an hourly rate and handles all the other employee benefits required by law. There are no hidden costs. Ultimately it is more cost effective to go through an agency than direct to Craigslist.

Agencies Ensure Background Safety and Security Checks

Home care agencies do thorough background checks on their team. Their applicants undergo exhaustive screening, including criminal liabilities, to ensure they’re getting personnel with clean and reputable records. This process is very costly. If you want a care provider you can trust, a home care agency can give you that.

Protection from Disability Claims

Home caregivers are bonded and insured when they work through an agency at no cost to you. If they get injured on the job, they can get whatever medical attention they need through the agency’s coverage. However, if they are your direct employee, you must pay for their bonds and insurance directly. If something happens to them while on duty, they can make costly claims for damages.

Reduced Risk of Theft

A caregiver from a reputable source can be trusted with your personal belongings because the agency has well-screened them. Aside from the peace of mind that they won’t touch any of your private belongings, you can also easily trace them if necessary. Every staff member at a licensed agency is finger-printed and registered with the State of California. This means the agency does regular monitoring, continuing education for their staff, and provides supervision. The agency makes sure you and your belongings are safe and secure.

Your Home Care Provider Will Show, No Matter What

With agency home care providers, there is always someone who can attend to the job—the primary care giver assigned, or their back up. If the assigned caregiver is unable to visit your home, there is always an alternate care provider to step in. This is often a place where independent caregivers fall short.

A last thought on why an agency is a better choice when looking for assistance with home care. Training. Reputable agencies are licensed with the state, this means they must meet the state’s training requirements. These agencies train every caregiver when they get hired AND continually throughout the year.

For more information on the differences between licensed and unlicensed home care agencies, see the state’s fact sheet here.

AEC Home Care is a private duty, non-medical, in-home care agency serving the East Bay and offers a wide variety of personalized care solutions. Agency  management has over 45 years of experience serving seniors in this community. To learn more, please reach out to us at: 510-629-4959