Agency or Private Hire?
There are pros and cons to whether you decide to go with an agency or hire someone yourself. For example, hiring through an agency can bring some degree of peace of mind since they take care of many unavoidable details such as payroll and liability insurance. An agency can find a last-minute replacement of a caregiver if they don’t show up for a shift or if there is a compatibility issue.
However, all of those responsibilities come with a price. Hiring through an agency will be more expensive. Moreover, you may be surprised after hiring an agency to provide care for your family member that they cannot actually do some of the tasks that are most needed. For example, your father may have arthritis and can no longer give his own insulin injection. You expected the hired caregiver to do that for him, but you are told that it is against your state’s laws for her to do so. An agency must adhere to state regulations with regard to allowable caregiver tasks. Not to mention, how do you decide which agency is best? There can be scores of available agencies depending on the community in which you live. And, finally, you may have the idea that hiring an agency absolves you of all responsibility and reduces your involvement and stress. This is not necessarily true. Even the best agencies need some degree of oversight.
Handling all of this yourself can be tempting. Leslie decided to do that in the beginning of her family’s “care at home” saga when a friend recommended a really great caregiver. Even though she lives across the country from her parents, it seemed like a good idea at the time. The family loved the caregiver and she seemed very responsible and caring. Over time, however, big problems arose, including theft and exploitation. What started as a great solution, ended as a disaster.
