Benefits of Working with a Home Care Organization in the Bay Area

Families who choose to directly hire a private caregiver work one-on-one with the caregiver to arrange professional home care services. With this option, not only will your family be responsible for screening, interviewing, and detailing employment responsibilities with whichever caregiver you choose to hire, but you will also be responsible for ensuring the caregiver is doing their job properly and assuming liability in case of an injury or criminal act. You may also need to assume responsibility for unemployment, worker’s compensation insurance, and full Federal, Social Security and State payroll taxes for the caregiver you hire.

You can often find private caregivers in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Marin, Sonoma, Contra Costa, and Alameda Counties through personal ads or online. A friend, family member, neighbor, or coworker may also recommend private caregivers that could be right for you or your loved one.

If you choose to work with a referral agency, then they will be responsible with referring an independent caregiver who can provide the professional home care you or your loved one needs. However, your family will still be responsible for working out employment responsibilities and supervising the caregiver, as well as liability, unemployment, worker’s compensation insurance, and full Federal, Social Security and State payroll taxes.

The referral agency will charge a placement fee in exchange for helping you find the right caregiver. However, working with a referral agency takes the stress out of finding a qualified individual to care for you or your loved one.

Similar to referral agencies, full service home care organizations will work with you to find a qualified caregiver for you or your loved one. However, because the caregivers are directly employed by the organization, they will also assume responsibility for screening, supervising, and training caregivers, as well as other factors like liability, unemployment, worker’s compensation insurance, and full Federal, Social Security and State payroll taxes.

Additionally, many full service home care organizations will also drug test all potential caregivers and provide ongoing training so they can continue to have the skills needed to provide professional home care services. Working with a full service organization takes the stress out on ensuring you’ve found a qualified and dependable caregiver.