Many seniors and adults with disabilities choose to remain at home with help from a caregiver in order to maintain their independence. Assisting Hands Home Care screens, hires, and trains its employees because we are committed to providing you and your loved ones with the right caregiver. Assisting Hands Home Care provides senior citizens and disabled adults with professional home care services in Dallas, Preston Hollow, Fort Worth, and Richardson, TX.
Families often hire a caregiver directly because they believe they will save money, but they fail to realize that they are now an employer and are fully responsible for their caregiver employee. There are important distinctions that people should consider when choosing between hiring a home care agency and a direct caregiver.
Hiring A Home Care Agency vs. Hiring Directly
- A home care agency is insured, bonded, and covers their caregivers under worker’s compensation. Direct hire or independent caregivers do not carry their own worker’s compensation or liability insurance. If an accident occurs on the job, the employer of the independent caregiver would likely be responsible, costing them hundreds or thousands of dollars.
- A home care agency will provide a replacement if the original caregiver is unable to work for whatever reason. If a direct-hire caregiver doesn’t show up or calls off, the client will be responsible for providing a back-up plan since there is no agency involved.
- Direct hire caregivers cannot be bonded and bonding offers theft protection to the client.
- A home care agency is responsible for disciplinary action, training, and terminating the caregiver if needed. If hiring directly, the client must handle these responsibilities.
- A home care agency tests and trains their caregivers and can vouch for their skills. If hiring directly, the client must assess the skill level and quality of the caregiver themselves. This is important if the patient has limited mobility, Alzheimer’s, dementia, or requires more personal care.
- By law, the client must fill tax forms, payroll taxes, and verify that the caregiver can legally work in the U.S.
Contact Us
At Assisting Hands Home Care, we understand that using resources wisely and saving money is more important than ever in today’s economic hardships. However, the client must carefully consider the benefits of working with a home care agency over the risks of a direct caregiver. You can reach us at (214) 865-7870 for more information about our home care services.
