Home care, also known as home care, provides a caregiver who works at home and helps you with activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and housework. Some home care aides accept clients who live in assisted living or skilled nursing facilities and, in those cases, work with their clients at the facility rather than at the client’s home.

There are three basic ways to hire a professional caregiver. First, you must decide whether to hire a private caregiver or use an agency. There are two types of home health agencies: referral and full service. This article addresses the differences between the three options.

Full service agencies

Full-service home care agencies take care of the main aspects of hiring a caregiver for you. It is in the best interest of these agencies to ensure that their caregivers are experienced, competent and a good fit for you, the client. Services typically include:

* Prior evaluation of employees in search of criminal records

* Verification of multiple references

* Provide workers’ compensation insurance

* Maintain a professional liability insurance or bond.

* Covers all payroll taxes

* Provide a caregiver when a contractor will be absent.

* Replacement of a caregiver who does not fit well

* Supervise caregivers

Before starting your search, read the important questions to ask before signing a contract with an agency.

Referral agencies

Referral agencies provide some initial screening and selection services, but once you hire a caregiver from a referral agency, your relationship with the agency ends. Referral agencies do not supervise caregivers. Referral agency services generally include:

* Prior evaluation of employees in search of criminal records

* Verification of multiple references

Your responsibilities, after finding a caregiver through a referral agency, will include:

* Pay the caregiver directly and cover related taxes

* Insure caregiver and / or personal items (Contact a local insurance agent to ask what protection an existing homeowners policy offers. Ask for information on dishonesty bonds and workers’ compensation).

* Supervise the caregiver

* Find a replacement caregiver if necessary

Private caregivers

Private caregivers are often hired on word of mouth recommendations. To get started, read tips on how to find, background check, and interview a private caregiver, review a downloadable Caregiver Job Sheet, and learn how to avoid fraud and abuse by home care employees.

Taxes and private caregivers

Private caregivers can work as independent contractors or as your employee. Tax laws change annually; however, in 2006 any home-based employee who earned less than $ 1,500 during the year is considered a contractor. Therefore, a caregiver in this situation would use IRS Form 1099, which means that they are responsible for their own taxes at the end of the year. There is an exception: home care workers who act as their own business with, for example, business cards, clients, or a business license; even if he made more than $ 1,500, a person in this scenario would be considered a contractor. All other workers would be considered your employees and you would be responsible for withholding the appropriate amount of tax from each paycheck. There is also a fixed amount for transportation costs ($ 105 / month in 2006) and lodging costs, which are not calculated in the annual sum.

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