So many adult children worry about their parents living all alone, especially when their senior parents struggle with routine daily tasks.
The good news is that you can feel better about your mom or dad living at home if you hire a caregiver to assist him or her.
You can find all kinds of caregivers in your area, and one option is hiring a private caregiver. Another option is hiring an agency that offers in-home services for seniors.
Before you consider using a private caregiver, you should understand the dangers this presents.
Private caregivers are not equivalent to the employees hired by agencies, and here are the primary dangers you should know about before you decide which type to use.
Private Caregivers Might Not Have the Necessary Insurance Coverage
One of the dangers you face when hiring a private caregiver is that he or she may not have the necessary insurance coverage.
The insurance coverage needed is liability protection. Liability protection offers the safety your parent needs when receiving in-home services.
If the caregiver was helping your parent with a task and something went wrong, he or she might end up with injuries. If the caregiver had the appropriate insurance coverage, the policy might cover the costs of the injuries.
When caregivers do not have proper coverage, it presents a major risk for anyone receiving services. There are a variety of things that can happen that would require this form of insurance coverage.
A senior falling is an example of a situation the insurance would cover. Another example is if the caregiver gave your parent the wrong medication.
If this caused an adverse reaction that required medical care, the caregiver’s liability insurance would cover the costs.
No One Screens Private Caregivers
A second danger of hiring a private worker is that you have no idea who that person is. There is no company performing background checks and screenings on him or her.
When agencies hire people to work as senior caregivers, they use many strategies to find out if they want to hire the individuals.
They perform background checks and evaluate their references. They look at their job history, skills, and education. After doing these things, they only hire people who meet the guidelines and criteria they have in place.
The result of these screenings is confidence. Agencies feel confident and satisfied that they have reputable and qualified individuals working for them.
Anyone who hires an agency can also feel confident in this, knowing that the caregivers are trustworthy and competent for the job.
You can feel even better with your decision by interviewing a company before hiring them.
A Private Caregiver Might Not Have the Right Skills and Knowledge
One primary advantage of hiring an agency is that you will receive quality care. Agencies have numerous people on staff who work for them, and they choose the best person for each job.
When you hire a private caregiver, that is the person you get for the services. You don’t have a choice. The downside to this is that this caregiver might not have the skills, knowledge, and experience for your parent’s situation.
For example, if your parent is suffering from the effects of a stroke, you would want a caregiver who has experience assisting stroke victims. The caregiver you hire, though, might not have this background.
Agencies evaluate every senior that needs help to select a caregiver who has the right experience and skills for the job.
They Have No Supervisors
Another danger of hiring a private caregiver is that they will not have a supervisor. If you experience a concern or problem with the care your parent receives, who do you call?
The only person you could call is the person providing the care. If he or she is not willing to listen to your concerns and address them properly, you will have no recourse.
You could go ahead and hire a different caregiver, but this may cause a lag in services, and it could happen again if you hired a private worker this time too.
When working with an agency, you not only have the caregiver to talk to, but you will also have that person’s supervisor. Agencies welcome concerns and questions, and they will address them promptly and thoroughly.
There Is No One to Replace Them
One more danger to think about is what you would do if the caregiver cannot provide services on a scheduled date. The person offering the services may develop a sickness, or he or she may have other obligations that day.
If this occurs, your parent may have to go without services for a day or longer. In this event, could you step in and provide the care your parent needs? If not, you’d be in a predicament.
Agencies employ many workers for the job. If the scheduled caregiver cannot tend to your parent’s services for the day, another person will fill in for him or her.
What You Get When You Hire an Agency for Services
You can still choose to hire a private caregiver if you wish. It’s always a wiser idea to hire an agency, though.
When you hire an agency, you will feel safer and more confident with the services and caregivers that come to help your loved one. You can be rest assured that we screen all of our employers through rigorous procedures before hiring them.
The result is excellent and trustworthy services that you can count on.
We would love to hear from you if you have questions about the services we provide. Give us a call today, or fill out our form and we’ll contact you!
