Avoid the Risks of Hiring a Private Caregiver
When selecting a caregiver, it’s important to be informed and weigh your options carefully. Choosing a caregiver backed by a reputable agency versus hiring a caregiver on your own eliminates potential issues that could arise and ensures you and your loved one’s comfort and safety throughout your in-home experience.
Trust professional caregivers from a reliable agency to care for your loved ones.
When you invite a caregiver into your home, you should expect a specially trained and trusted professional. When a caregiver is not part of a reputable agency, you may not get the level of care your loved one needs, or the expertise and peace of mind you and your family deserve.
Every caregiver at Comfort Keepers® is a carefully selected and trained employee, with a wealth of benefits you won’t receive from a “free agent” or a private caregiver you hire directly. From specialized training and reliability of a trusted national agency to insurance coverage, you’re in much better hands with a caregiver from a long-standing in-home care company like Comfort Keepers.
Background Checks and Vetting
Caregiver candidates at Comfort Keepers undergo a thorough recruitment process, including criminal background screens, DMV record review, and personal and professional reference checks before they become employees. What’s more, all Comfort Keepers caregivers—who we call Comfort Keepers®—are screened for empathy and trained to provide the highest quality care to make sure your loved ones are not only safe and healthy at home, but also empowered to do all the things they love.
When hiring a private caregiver, it’s your responsibity to check their credentials and references, do a background check, and conduct an interview.
Take Cash Out of the Equation
Because Comfort Keepers handles your in-home care agreement, all payments and financials are made outside the relationship between our clients and caregivers. This reduces friction and any financial issues that can arise with individuals working independently. Conversations about pay, vacation time, and other benefits with private caregivers may lead to awkward, complicated, or tense situations for seniors and their families.
Liability and Risk
Hiring a private caregiver comes with legal risks and complexities. For example, private caregivers can be difficult to hold accountable if disagreements, miscommunications, or other issues happen. When you hire caregivers through an agency like Comfort Keepers, families know that those caring for their senior loved one are bonded, insured, and covered by Workers’ Compensation. This shields you from any liability and creates peace of mind for everyone involved.
A Limitless Network
If an in-home caregiver becomes ill or takes time off for an emergency, Comfort Keepers has a wide network of caregivers to fill in temporarily, so there are no interruptions in care. If you have hired a caregiver privately, the responsibility falls back on your family to find someone else to provide care—which can be challenging and expensive.
Industry-Leading Plan of Care
Comfort Keepers builds an individualized, confidential Plan of Care for each client. Every Plan of Care describes the type of services needed to ensure the best care for your loved one’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing—all tailored to their lifestyle.
The Plan of Care can be regularly reviewed to ensure new needs are addressed and new goals set accordingly. With this process, agencies like Comfort Keepers ensure clients and their families are continually satisfied with the care they receive.
If you have a private caregiver, the responsibility falls on you as a family member to create the plan of care and ensure it is consistently being carried out.
Interactive Caregiving
Comfort Keepers’ philosophy of Interactive Caregiving means doing things with our clients instead of just doing things for them. Comfort Keepers encourage participation and engagement whenever possible, making each day fulfilling for their clients. This kind of care and individual focus helps build deeper relationships between our caregivers and their clients.
On the other hand, there is no guarantee private caregivers will be trained to provide care in a way that promotes social, emotional, and mental wellbeing. With less focused and intentional care, your loved one may experience quicker physical deterioration and mental health challenges.
The Comfort Keepers Difference
Now celebrating our 25th anniversary, Comfort Keepers is known for expertise in providing uplifting in-home care that helps seniors thrive. Comfort Keepers caregivers are specially vetted, trained, and tailored to develop real relationships with their clients to keep them physically and mentally active while helping them experience joy from their daily activities.
If you or a loved one are interested in learning more about Comfort Keepers, reach out to us for a free consultation today.
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We understand choosing an in-home care provider can be a difficult decision, and we want to make your journey as easy as possible. We're here to support you by providing helpful senior care tips and information on in-home care and senior health and wellbeing topics.
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