Resources
Choosing a Caregiver
How to evaluate an agency, what to ask, and the difference between hiring privately and hiring through an employer.
Agency or private hire?
Hiring privately is usually cheaper per hour. It also makes you the employer, responsible for payroll taxes, workers' compensation, liability if someone is injured in your home, backup coverage when your caregiver is sick, screening, and supervision. Families frequently discover this after an incident rather than before.
An agency costs more per hour and absorbs those responsibilities. Decide deliberately which trade you are making.
Questions worth asking
- What background checks do you run, and how often?
- Are caregivers bonded and insured?
- What training happens before the first shift?
- Who writes and reviews the care plan?
- Who supervises, and how often do they visit?
- What happens when a caregiver cannot make a shift?
- What is your caregiver turnover rate?
- What exactly appears on the invoice?
- How do we change caregivers if it is not working?
Judging the match
Skills are the floor, not the goal. Once competence is established, the thing that determines whether an arrangement lasts is whether your loved one actually enjoys the person's company. Involve them in the choice wherever they are able to participate.
Warning signs
- Reluctance to put rates or policies in writing
- Vague answers about supervision or training
- Pressure to sign at the first visit
- No clear escalation path outside business hours
- High turnover treated as normal and unremarkable
Have a question we haven't answered?
A care coordinator can talk through your situation: what care would look like, what it costs, and whether you need it yet.