Marcia knew she needed help taking care of her 84-year-old mother, Alice. She was struggling to keep up with her job, her children, and her mom’s care needs. A friend Lisa suggested she hire a home care provider. Marcia wasn’t sure how to go about that. Lisa said she had placed an ad and interviewed people to take care of her own mother. However, it had been time consuming, she warned. Marcia knew she didn’t have time for that. Then she found out about home care agencies and contacted one. She was pleasantly surprised at just how easy the process was. Now, a year later, Marcia was even more certain she had made the best choice and here are 4 reasons why.
#1: Time Saver
People who use a home care agency never have to take the time to compose an ad for the newspaper and have it placed. They also don’t need to spend hours interviewing several people to find someone who is qualified. There’s also no need to start the process all over if the home care provider doesn’t work out or decides to move on to another job. Home care agencies do all of the work of interviewing and hiring people who are qualified to provide the kind of care your older family member needs and deserves.
#2: Time Off is Covered
When families hire an individual through an ad, there is no back up for when that person needs a day off or takes vacation time. Family members have to cover any days off, often requiring them to take time off work to do so. And, when the provider calls in sick, there’s no time to make alternate plans, so family members are stuck scrambling to cover the gap in the senior’s care calendar. Home care agencies cover planned time off as well as sick days by sending another qualified person to care for the older adult while their regular home care provider isn’t available.
#3: No Payroll or Employer Taxes
By hiring an individual through an ad, you become an employer. That means you’re in charge of adding up the home care provider’s hours and calculating the amount you owe them. In addition to paying them on a regular basis, you also have employer taxes to consider. Employers are required to ensure certain kinds of taxes are paid, which can be too complicated for some people and require you to enlist the help of a tax professional.
#4: Qualified and Safe Providers
One of the best things about using a home care agency is that you can be certain the person sent to your aging relative’s home is qualified. In addition, the agency will have conducted background checks to make sure every single home care provider is safe.
If you are considering hiring home care in Layton, UT, for an aging loved one, please contact the caring staff at Seniors Helping Seniors of Ogden, UT. Call today 801-821-4535.