Household Employment Blog | Nanny Tax Information

Screening Senior Home Care Agencies: Top 12 Questions to Ask

Written by HomeWork Solutions | 6/4/15 7:31 PM

Finding a senior home care agency that meets the caregiver’s needs and the senior’s needs can require some research, but finding the agency that fits your whole family’s needs is worth it. While screening senior home care agencies, make sure to ask the following questions:

Is the agency licensed and bonded by senior care organizations?

Are caregivers available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week?

What training (medical or otherwise) do your caregivers receive? Are they all background checked and licensed? For example, many caregivers are also RNs, and all caregivers should be CPR certified.

How will you find the perfect caregiver for our family?

Do I have to sign a contract or enroll in the home care service for a specific period of time?

What services can I expect in a typical day from my senior caregiver?

Will we have the same caregiver every day?

How quickly can the caregiver start?

Once I have hired a caregiver, can I make changes to their schedule?

Who do I contact if I have a problem with my service?

Are the caregivers directly employed by the home care agency or are they considered household employees? Caution: If the senior home care worker is not on the agency's payroll, that worker is your employee and you have payroll tax and legal obligations you must meet.

Do I pay the caregiver directly? What about the payroll taxes?

Simplify the process of hiring a senior home caregiver with HomeWork Solutions’ automated household payroll. The senior caregiver’s paycheck will be generated automatically each week (you will be able to make adjustments, should the schedule change) and Unemployment, Social Security, and Medicare taxes will be calculated and withheld. Give us a call at 1-800-NaniTax for a free consultation or check out our services here.

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