In-Home Care for Elderly Parents: The Pros and Cons of Hiring a Private Caregiver vs. Home Care Agency
If your parents are elderly and want to remain at home, it will be essential to engage in-home care at some point. Inform your parents or loved one that hiring help isn’t an indication of weakness, and “giving up”, but instead, it is a sign of common sense and recognizing limits.
The majority of seniors will require the help of a senior care professional at home to help in personal care and other activities associated with daily life. It could be assistance with grooming, bathing, dressing, food preparation, taking medications as well as walking and exercising. It may also include shopping and running errands, cleaning, housekeeping, and laundry.
Maybe your parents aren’t able to be left on their own and require assistance, or perhaps you’re the main caregiver and need some time to take care of yourself. There are many reasons to employ home care.
In the majority of cases, the nurse aide is able to offer this kind of care. Employing an RN or LPN is not essential for home care that requires custodial services, but only in cases where skilled care is required.
Now, the question is whether you should hire the nurse aid through a Home Care Agency or hire a private caretaker directly. There’s no definitive solution to the question. Let’s examine the advantages and cons of both options.
Private Caregiver
PROS
- You are responsible for the selection process and accepting your final choice.
- It is possible to skip formal education or certifications and instead think about the value of experience.
- Personal caregivers can be a great option, particularly when the options for home care providers are limited.
- Employing private caregivers is less expensive than working through an agency for home care.
- It gives caregivers the chance to work on their own and earn better pay.
CONS
- It can be difficult to locate caregivers.
- You should have a backup plan for when your caregiver is unavailable.
- Conducting a personal interview, confirming references, as well as conducting background checks can be time-consuming.
- You are responsible for managing the payroll of employees and keeping tax records, as well as withholding Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment tax.
- You are responsible for work associated accidents at home.
Home Care Agency
PROS
- You can choose from many caregivers from the agency.
- The majority of agencies provide backup caregivers in case your regular one isn’t available.
- Nursing assistants are trained and have certifications that are validated at the time of hire.
- Background checks and references for caregivers are checked at the time of hiring.
- The home care agencies must supervise their staff and assess the performance of their aides.
- Caregivers take part in continuing training.
Home care providers licensed by the state carry liability insurance. Many are covered by workers’ compensation.
Employees are bonded or insured to guard against loss and damage.
CONS
- There could be a variety of different caregivers, causing disruption in parental care.
- Being less involved in the choice of your parent’s caretaker could result in stress and anger.
- Home care services are more expensive than private caregivers since they are required to pay for recruiting,
- Hiring, orienting payroll deductions, and continuous supervision and training of their employees.
Whatever your decision is, whether to employ a private caretaker or use a home care agency, you’ll find it easy to have a dedicated caregiver. Being at ease with the caregivers in your home could be a bit of a process but their benefits will be evident quickly. Effective communication, clearly stating the expectations and demands of your caregiver, and focusing on positive feedback can create a positive connection and a warm relationship with your loved one. Caregivers as is the case for many of us must be praised for their work and appreciate it often expressed. This will inspire your caregiver to build an attitude of commitment and loyalty to family and friends as well as your parents.
If you or your aging loved one is considering home care or home health services, the skilled and caring professionals at Attentive Care Service Agency would be happy to help. Please contact us at 215-477-2100 to learn more about our services.
