The quality of life of an ill or older adult family member can be massively improved by finding the right home care services. A private carer or a personal assistant can really help out. Many people find that they do not wish to send their relative off to a residential home, and find that it is more suitable to hire a carer to come to their house. This enables the relative to preserve as much of their independence as possible and live as close to a normal life as they can in the company of their loved ones, with minimal disruption.
However, there are many points to consider when choosing the best care option for your personal situation. This article seeks to help out with the decision process..
About home care services
A carer can offer support and personal assistance – whether it be shopping, cleaning, bathing, or simply general supervision and company. The extent of this help can range from a few hours a week to full time live in care. Whilst it can prove to be massively beneficial, it is necessary to make sure that the service is just right, and there are many things to take into account.
Firstly, the type of care that you receive will depend on how much you can afford, and whether you are eligible for any financial assistance.
It is possible to check with your local authority to see if any financial assistance is available.
Homecare Agency
A homecare agency is a third party agency that can provide you with a carer in your home. In many cases, they can also take care of many of the administrative procedures such as tax, insurance, and DBS (criminal record) checks.
However, there are some downsides to going through an agency. For example, this option does not afford you the same degree of control and choice as hiring a carer directly yourself. It may be the case that the agency sends different carers to your house on different occasions. It is also possible that the agency in most cases will register as the legal employer of the carer, taking this option away from you.
Introductory Agency
Introductory agencies are slightly different. They are agencies that introduce a carer to the family, but the carer will operate as a self employed agent, and will take care of their own tax contributions to the government. This option is attractive to some people because it offers them a degree of freedom to choose the carer that is right for them. Moreover, they don’t have to worry about the responsibility of managing tax, pension, and all of the other administrative duties and safety checks normally associated with being an employer.
How to find a private carer yourself
By far the option that offers the highest degree of freedom and control is putting out an advertisement to find a private carer yourself, and employing them directly.
This option cuts out the agencies, and can therefore be much cheaper. Additionally, it gives you the highest level of control. You will be able to vet for the carer that is right for you. However, the downside is that this option is also the one that comes with the most responsibility because you will have to take charge of all of the administrative duties involved with managing the salary, pension, holiday pay, and tax contributions to the government on behalf of the carer. There are many legal and financial responsibilities involved with becoming an employer yourself, but if you are willing to go through the extra administrative complications, it can be one of the best options.
What to look for in home care services
When looking for a carer, who want to find someone who is able to meet your needs and requirements. Therefore it is very important to be completely honest and clear in your advertisement about the duration and timetable of the job. You must also be very clear about tasks involved, salary, holidays and time off.
Pay careful attention to the prospective carer’s prior experience and training (this is crucial) as well as references from previous jobs. It is also important to consider whether or not they have a criminal record check, or whether you will have to request one.
Above all, it is important to see how the person interacts with your family member, so it is therefore essential to have a trial shift. The relationship that the caregiver is or isn’t able to develop with your loved one will greatly affect their happiness so it is essential to give great consideration to this.
Finding the right home care services for you
As can be seen, there are many different options when finding a carer to come to your home, and it is necessary to weigh up all of the options and select the one that is best for you. You could select a care agency, use an introductory agency or service broker, or find someone privately yourself. There are advantages and disadvantages to each method.
What Nomenial offers
Nomenial is a service which caters specifically for people who choose to find a carer themselves, as opposed to going through an agency. We try to simplify the process of being an employer, so that once you have found a carer, we take care of all of the legal and administrative processes for you.
We will draw up an employment contract for you and your carer to sign, issue payslips, calculate tax, and operate a pension scheme among other things. In other words, we remove all of the disadvantages associated with employing someone directly yourself. We make the process of hiring a carer completely painless and carefree, which is why we believe that we are the best option.
