Many more senior citizens are choosing to age in their homes than in previous generations and they need some level of in-home care to make this possible.
Whether you or your loved one needs a few hours of help per day to take care of things around the house, or personal assistance with hygiene, medication, and movement, it helps to have a caregiver present.
Families can provide care for their elderly loved ones in one of three ways, either by providing the care themselves, hiring a caregiver directly, or working through a home care agency.
If your family is faced with this decision for a loved one in Fort Myers, FL, please consider the following before making this major decision.
Family Caregiver
In some cases, a family member will step up and act as a caregiver for an elderly relative. This is a noble thing to do and has a couple of advantages for the individual receiving care, including familiarity.
The individual receiving care will be comfortable having a family member that they know and trust providing care, and the family caregiver will already be familiar with the care needs of the individual.
However, family caregivers are often highly stressed due to the high demands of the job which can have a detrimental effect on their health and personal lives. Working with a home care agency or direct caregiver can provide relief for family caregivers.
Direct Caregiver
One option when it comes to hiring outside help is to hire a caregiver directly. This option tends to be less expensive than working with a home care agency, but it gives the family more responsibility as the employer of the caregiver. If you hire a caregiver directly, you will be responsible for:
- Hiring, screening, and training the caregiver
- Taking disciplinary action up to termination
- Handling payroll and taxes
- Replacing a caregiver when he or she doesn’t show up
Home Care Agency You Can Trust
To find the right senior care, most people turn to a full-service home care agency like Assisting Hands which screens, hires, and trains their own employees. While hiring a caregiver directly can save families some money, there are several benefits to working with a home care agency:
- A home care agency employs caregivers who are bonded to protect you against theft and insured to cover any injuries to the caregiver. Caregivers from a home care agency are also eligible for worker’s compensation through their employer. A direct hire caregiver does not have their own liability insurance or worker’s compensation. This means that you are responsible if a direct hire gets hurt on the job.
- A home care agency can send another caregiver if the original caregiver is sick or cannot make it. You must provide a replacement yourself for a direct hire caregiver.
- A home care agency will provide training for their caregivers and handle any disciplinary action including termination.
- A home care agency will have trained caregivers already prepared to care for those with Alzheimer’s, limited mobility, and other conditions that require more skill from the caregivers.
- The home care agency will take care of payroll, taxes, and verifying that their employees can legally work in the U.S.
While family caregivers and direct caregivers have their advantages, using a home care agency is the best way to ensure that your loved ones get the care they need from trained, licensed, and bonded caregivers. Assisting Hands Home Care provides in-home care services for seniors and adults with disabilities in Fort Myers, FL.
You can trust our highly trained and certified caregivers to work with you and your loved ones to come up with a personalized care plan that covers their specific needs.
Give us a call at (239) 337-4263 for more about how we can help with our senior care services
