Selecting a Home Care Agency

Finding a home care agency is an important and personal decision. It's estimated that more than half of all caregiving is provided by a family member. Of the other half, care or help is often provided by a neighbor or friend. Therefore, deciding to hire a homecare agency rather than relying on a family member, friend, or neighbor is difficult. It can be hard to admit that you need help and hard to allow strangers to have such personal interaction with you in your home. Also, it results in additional expense that can be difficult to come by. However, it does not need to be an "all or nothing" decision. Sometimes, having a homecare agency is a great way to provide a short break, both mentally and physically, to you and your care partner.

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Consider these tips when considering a home care agency selection:

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• A reputable agency will have insurance, train their staff, and conduct background checks before hiring caregivers, whereas most care partners who are friends and neighbors will not have insurance or formal training.

• The most important considerations for most people in selecting an agency are the safety of the recipient and the quality of care. Therefore, it may be prudent to choose an agency whose caregivers are employees rather than independent contractors. This employer-employee relationship provides you with additional protection because it ensures that the agency has worker's compensation and is responsible for paying its employees' payroll taxes.

• The federal government's classification of a caregiver includes employee status. Some people try to operate independently to avoid paying taxes, which could jeopardize the quality of care and create liability issues.

• In most cases, be aware that there will be more than one caregiver who serves you. Rarely will you have one dedicated person providing care. This provides some variety in personalities and can add to the social interaction. On the other hand, you may not get along with every caregiver; so be sure to exercise your right to request a change if desired.

• In terms of reliability, an agency will be responsible for finding a replacement caregiver if the person scheduled cannot show up for an appointment. Friends and neighbors, on the other hand, have their own lives to manage and sometimes cannot prevent a last-minute schedule change.

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Disclaimer: At PAA, our desire is to be a GO TO Resource for everything you need for the Parkinson's diagnosis to live a quality life with PD. We want to make sure you have all resources you need as you plan your journey with Parkinson's now and into the future so that you can reflect and discern what decisions you want to make with the appropriate insights to help you choose and build a plan that is unique as your journey. The PAA, nor the contents on this website, should never be a replacement for professional expertise and guidance from medical, legal, or financial professionals. Our goal is to equip you for those conversations. As such, the PAA cannot be held accountable for your choices and outcomes while navigating your Parkinson's condition.