It is well known that most adults prefer to stay in their home as they age.
Many decide to hire a caregiver to help with their personal care and housekeeping tasks. This may sound appealing to you, but what does it mean to have someone in your house and how do you find them?
The home care space is filled with professional caregivers who work for agencies and freelance caregivers who market themselves through referral websites and social media.
The following explores the differences between the two types of caregivers.
New Jersey Requirements
The State of New Jersey requires that all caregivers complete coursework, demonstrate proficiency in the skills needed to perform the job, and pass an exam in order to receive their Certified Home Health Aide license. They must also work for an agency under the direction of a Registered Nurse. Working as a freelance caregiver could subject them to losing their license.
We reached out to many caregivers from these sources and found that most freelance caregivers lack this license. This means they haven’t received the required skills training.
While many skills can be learned outside of the classroom, proper training ensures best practices are used. We have also found that some freelance caregivers even lack the authorization to work in the United States.
Employer Responsibility
The primary difference between hiring a professional caregiver and a freelance caregiver is the employer responsibilities.
The agency handles the hiring process, performs the necessary background checks, pays the employee and the employer taxes, and provides workers compensation.
Families who hire freelance caregivers take on all the responsibilities of the employer. They often find the hiring and vetting process to be time consuming and overwhelming. They don’t have the procedures and tools to perform the task efficiently and quickly.
Additionally, the caregiver is considered a household employee and is subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act and Internal Revenue Service regulations. The family must comply with all employer payroll and tax responsibilities and retain liability
for any caregiver injury that occurs in the home.
Families should notify their insurance company that a household employee has been hired. Some families choose to purchase additional liability insurance coverage for injury or theft.
Back Up and Continuity of Care
Agencies have adequate staff to provide back-up care should the caregiver become ill or take vacation. We also provide an immediate replacement should your caregiver move to another job. Our turnover rate is low because we pay our staff more than other agencies.
We have heard stories from families who have lost their freelance caregiver with no notice because the caregiver was able to find an assignment that was closer to their home or paid more. The family must be in a position to be the back-up caregiver on a moment’s notice.
Training, Oversight and Established Procedures
Agencies ensure quality service by providing training and oversight of caregivers. Not only does a nurse review the care plan and observe them on the job, we have documented best practices for job performance and communication to optimize customer satisfaction.
It is difficult to determine the skill level of a freelance caregiver until they have already started providing care. As the employer, you may need to start the search process over if the freelance caregiver is unable to perform the job to your satisfaction.
The cost of care provided by an agency is typically higher than that of a freelance caregiver; however, the added value that comes from not having to worry about regulatory compliance, employer responsibility, reliability of care, and oversight can lead to better care and provide your family with peace of mind.
Preferred Care at Home of Central New Jersey
We, at Preferred Care at Home of Central New Jersey, recognize that you may want to have a say in your caregiver selection. Based on our conversations, we will choose a caregiver that we believe has the qualification and the personality to be a good fit in your home.
We will check in after the first day, the first week, and every month thereafter to ensure you are happy with the caregiver. We work hard to provide five-star service.
Please feel free to contact us to discuss your care needs.
