Why Work With A Home Care Agency?

Why Work With A Home Care Agency Over Hiring Your Home Health Aide Privately?

 

Assistance from a home health aide can help a loved one maintain their independence as well as their happiness by allowing them to remain in the comfort of their home. Home health aides provide a wide range of assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as bathing, dressing, grooming, assisting with ambulation or transferring, toileting, feeding, and providing medication reminders. In addition, home health aides help with what professionals call, instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), such as shopping, meal preparation, making medical appointments, transportation, laundry, and companionship.  Though paying privately can seem expensive, especially if your loved one needs around-the-clock care, hiring a home health aide that is not employed by a licensed or certified home care agency can lead to much greater expenses.

Tax Issues:

If you decided to privately hire a home health aide, you will need to pay Social Security, unemployment, and payroll taxes unless the home health aide can represent themselves as an independent contractor.  However, you will need to make sure that the home health aide truly is an independent contractor and therefore paying their own taxes.  If taxes are not being paid, then the financial responsibility falls on the employer.  These liabilities could include paying interest on back taxes, civil fines, and possibly criminal penalties.  We strongly suggest that you work with a lawyer to assure proper hiring practices with respect to federal tax laws.

Workers’ Compensation:

If the home health aide is injured on the job, the employer would be responsible for paying the workers’ compensation.  This can include the cost of all medical expenses and any disability payments that might become applicable.

Criminal Background Checks and References:

It is mandated by state law that New York State Licensed Home Care Service Agencies and Certified Home Health Agencies conduct criminal background checks as well as check personal and employment references.  This can help protect your family against fraud and other forms of elder abuse.

Nursing supervision:

Through the supervision of a registered nurse, agencies provide clear boundaries for the aides, letting them know which tasks they are and are not qualified to perform and which tasks can only be provided by a licensed professional.

Access to other aides and to a care coordinator:

If the relationship between the home health aide and the patient changes, perhaps due to the progression of a disease that affects cognitive abilities, the family has access to a care coordinator and replacement aides.  The care coordinator can help in assisting the family and the aide understand why these changes are occurring and discuss how the aide can meet the changing the needs of the patient.  If for some reason the current aide cannot help to meet these new needs, the agency can quickly provide a replacement aide.

If you would like more information about home care services and why working with an agency could be a better option for your family, contact us at Progressive Home Health Services, Inc. at 212-273-5500 or visit our website at www.phhs.com.