When it’s time to choose in-home care for seniors, family members may not know where to start. They may know – or suspect – that home care is needed, but what questions should they ask? What details should they look for?
With choices between hiring a professional home care agency, a privately hired individual, or using a registry, which option is best? Here are just five reasons (and there are many more) to suggest that going with a professional home care agency, like A-Abiding Care, is best:
- Skip the laborious search for a qualified caregiver. An agency not only checks references and performs thorough background and driving record checks, but it also takes care to find the perfect caregiver match for each client, taking into account personality, hobbies and common interests, in addition to requested schedule and geographic accessibility.
- Rest assured in the competency of the caregiver. An agency often provides ongoing caregiver training as well as an orientation. Ongoing monitoring means that any needed changes or assistance can be identified and corrected.
- Tax responsibilities fall on the agency – not on you. If a client hires a home health caregiver through a registry or independent hire, the client is responsible for the caregiver’s payroll taxes (which often is not disclosed). Alternatively, because all caregivers from an agency are employees of the agency, all payroll taxes are paid for by the agency.
- Caregiver illness and vacation time are covered. It’s inevitable that at some point, a chosen home health caregiver will become ill or wish to take a vacation. An agency provides a backup caregiver if your regular caregiver is ill or on vacation. Additionally, an agency handles all worker discipline, to assist with situations such as showing up late for work.
- Leave the supervision to us. An agency provides supervision of all home health caregivers by a qualified individual. With a registry or independent hire, there is no oversight of care, opening up a client to potential financial, mental or physical abuse.
There are many options for senior home care out there. If you’re still unsure about which option is best for you, give us a call at 847-698-1400 or email us so we can answer your questions. We can discuss the services we offer, such as light housekeeping and personal assistance. We’ll explain how assessments are done, and how your loved one’s caregivers will be chosen.
Our professional caregivers offer a wide variety of home care services to meet your loved one’s unique and individual needs, including:
In-Home Care
Hospital-to-Home Transitional Care
Specialized Senior Home Care
Assistance Services
A-Abiding Care, Inc. was founded in 1983 by Joyce Kernan – a registered nurse and pioneer in the field of home care – on the principles of showing clients kindness and respect while providing loving, compassionate care for seniors at home. Today, Joyce’s family, along with our loyal staff, continue her legacy and mission; to provide quality home care for seniors in the Chicago area and provide meaningful employment for many caregivers, nurses and administrative staff.
I feel honored to care for our community members and to be a part of their lives in a meaningful, lasting way.
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