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Why Hire A Licensed Agency
The Licensed Agency Advantage—Peace of Mind
When it comes to home health care for a member of your family, you question everything. Partnering with Freedom Eldercare will help answer those questions, including the most important one — Will my loved one be well cared for and his or her quality of life maintained—in a safe, affordable and convenient manner?
Freedom Eldercare is a licensed, full-service home health care agency. We employ* all of our in-home caregivers and provide their screening, training, insurance, and supervision. Our staff supports a full range of customized services, based on the same guiding principle—Quality people provide quality care and peace of mind. Our initial nursing assessment is a crucial step to ensure that the needs of your loved one are identified and matched with the skills and competencies of the chosen caregiver:
- Home Health Specialists—Certified Home Health Aides and Certified Nursing Assistants
- Companion Services—Highly trained caregivers and companions
- Skilled Care Experts—Registered Nurses and Licensed Nurse Practitioners
You know your family will need help when an aging relative decides to remain at home. But what type of help? Does your situation require a live-in caregiver? How can you be sure of what you need? For that matter, how can you be sure the agency you hire is the best fit for your loved one? Before you decide on a home health agency, be sure you have all the facts. Below are some questions to ask the elder care agency owner or manager before hiring them.
- Is the agency licensed, bonded and insured?
- Is this a licensed home care agency or an employment agency?
- Are caregivers employees or independent contractors? Who is responsible for taxes?
- Will all care be monitored by an RN or will he or she only visit when care begins?
- Are the caregivers citizens or legal residents of the United States?
- Does the agency offer live-in care?
- Is the agency contracted with high quality, local hospitals?
- What are the hiring standards for the agency? What type of background check does this agency perform on caregivers?
- Does the agency have someone on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week?
- Are there geriatric care managers or social workers on staff?
When interviewing home health care providers, beware that many employment agencies position themselves as "home care" companies when they are not—they only refer caregivers to clients. They are not licensed or monitored by the State. They are not required to screen, do background and reference checks, or test workers. They are also not required to supervise caregivers or handle taxes and insurance. All of these tasks are the client's responsibility. To identify and avoid these types of companies, always ask if the agency is licensed by the State and if caregivers are their legal employees.
Your Home Health Care Decision: Agency or Independent Caregiver
Once you choose home health care for an aging loved one, you must decide the type of care you prefer—an agency or independent caregiver. When examining this issue, consider the pros and cons of the situation.
- Assumes full liability for all care
- Assumes responsibility for worker taxes, insurance, benefits, etc.
- Back-up system in place should usual caregiver be unable to work
- Caregiver supervision and replacement—if you are not pleased with a caregiver, the agency will handle dismissal and replacement
- Experienced caregivers ready to work on short notice
- Full background and reference checks
- Provides continuing education for caregivers
- Registered Nurse monitors all care
- Trained and licensed staff
- You are responsible for recruiting and interviewing applicants
- You are responsible for performing background and reference checks
- You are responsible for taxes, insurance and benefits
- You are responsible for supervising, dismissing and replacing an inappropriate caregiver
- No guarantee of clinical training or experience
- No back-up system in place should the caregiver be unable to work
- No liability for care
- Care is not monitored by a Registered Nurse
Our home health care team is the true heart of our organization. We understand that our success is based on their experience and relationship with your loved one. We invest significant time and attention on screening, training and supervising our employees to ensure we provide the best quality of care.
Our comprehensive screening process includes a thorough background check, in addition to professional, criminal and driving records from the past seven years. We also verify:
- U.S. citizenship
- Proper medical records and immunizations
- Mandatory employment documentation
- Professional certifications
- Continued education requirements
Since all of our care providers are employees, we take care of worker’s compensation insurance, social security and all other income tax withholdings—eliminating any reporting requirements or liability on behalf of our valued clients.
Please take the time to review some of the most Frequently Asked Questions we receive from our clients, along with vital information from the National Private Duty Association (NPDA) on the importance of selecting a licensed home health care agency.
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