Most Workers are Employees!

The US Department of Labor's Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, David Weil, clearly stated on July 15, 2015 that most workers are considered employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act, as he issued new guidelines aimed at limiting the misclassification of workers as independent contractors.

Topics: worker misclassification, worker misclassification independent contractor, senior home care

What level of care can you expect from a senior home caregiver? Well, every family’s needs are unique, so the services you can expect in a typical day from your senior caregiver will be customized to what you requested during your initial assessment with a senior caregiver. Below is a broad list of services you can expect from a general senior home caregiver.

Topics: senior home care, senior home-care workers

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:

Topics: senior home care

Think you are saving money by taking time off of work to care for your elderly relative? A new study by Rand Corporation, one of the leading independent health policy research programs, investigated the cost of informal caregiving of the elderly by friends and relatives. The cost is calculated by the valuing the hours family caregivers give up in order to provide care (in the US, this comes to 30 billion hours annually).

Topics: senior caregivers, hiring care for seniors, senior home care

Talking to our loved ones about the possibility of senior home care can be one heck of an uncomfortable conversation. Your aging mom or dad wants to age in place, and you want to help them achieve that goal safely.

Topics: elder care, senior caregivers, senior home care

HWS received the following update today from Legally Nanny, a foremost legal expert in household employment law in California and wanted to immediately update California household employers.

Topics: companionship services, california household employment, senior home care, senior home-care workers

The growing national movement towards aging in place is challenging many families. As noted recently in the New York Times, "Aging in community is important for preserving the quality of life for older adults and providing stability to neighborhoods." 

Topics: elder care, senior home care

Navigating the roadmap of senior home care can be challenging, and the everchanging laws make it even more overwhelming. We are receiving an increasing number of emails regarding the so-called "Nanny Tax," and other concerns surrounding private household employment of senior home caregivers. In response to these questions, we decided to address the top three Elder Care FAQ’s

Topics: elder care, eldercare, household employee, nanny tax, Hiring Elder care, senior home care

Let’s face it: sitting your aging parents down to talk about their finances is about as comfortable as talking to them about sex (eons ago, they probably felt the same way you do right now!) But just as it was back then, the conversation- though difficult- is imperative to your future decision making.

Topics: elder care, aging in place, eldercare, senior care, hiring care for seniors, senior home care

Be specific and avoid misunderstanding

Think about the conflicts you encounter in everyday life, and you’ll recognize the role of details in smooth operations and peaceful negotiations.  This is the foundation of a senior home care work agreement.

Topics: elder care, senior caregivers, companionship services, senior home care