More and more Americans are choosing to remain in their homes as they age. Eventually, home care in the form of aides, services, companion care or nursing is needed within the home. Finding the right kind of home care can be difficult. While hiring a private caregiver might be easier on your wallet, do you really know what you are paying for? What kind of background and screening checks can you do on your own for a caregiver? If the caregiver gets sick, who is going to fill in? Is the caregiver bonded and insured? If not, can you afford the liability? Who handles payroll and taxes for the caregiver? How are you going to recruit the caregiver? How does hiring through an employment agency compare? These are the questions you should ask yourself before taking the leap into hiring privately or through a placement agency or registry.
Feeling overwhelmed? Does it all seem too complicated? Fortunately, the National Private Duty Association (NPDA) is an organization dedicated to providing reliable in-home care for the elderly. There are over 1,200 member organizations and 250,000 employees of the NPDA. These organizations employ, train and supervise caregivers, who provide care on a variety of levels. The NPDA organizations screen and select caregivers, adhere to state and federal guidelines in employment practices (worker's compensations, tax withholding, background and reference checks), manage payroll, have 24/7 on-call availability, and supervise the caregiver services-all so you don't have to. At the heart of the NPDA and their member organizations is their mission of serving the elderly and providing families with peace of mind, which is why they also develop an individualized plan of care with the client and family.
Proud to be a member of NPDA since 2002, The Methodist Senior Home Care (MSHC) takes a responsive, teamwork approach to senior home care. Offering a variety of services such as live-in caregivers, overnight care, meal preparation, grocery shopping, respite care, medication reminders, personal hygiene, housekeeping, companionship and accompaniment to doctor visits, MSHC is a mission-based, nonprofit provider with a fee structure set to cover only the cost of the operation.
If you are struggling with the decision of hiring a private caregiver versus going through an established organization, think twice about what you are really up against and what you are willing to deal with. The NPDA website offers cost comparison charts as well as additional information that might help you make an informed decision.
To find NPDA members in your area, visit:
http://www.privatedutyhomecare.org/sections/consumers/locator.php
To learn more about the Methodist Senior Home Care Services, visit:
/programs--services/home-care.aspx
Carrie Robertson
Research & Community Education
Chicago Skilled Nursing
Chicago Senior Living