Home care is any care provided in the home by a caregiver, often including assistance with basic Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s), as well as homemaking services. A caregiver can be a family member, private duty aide, or an employee of an agency. Home care can be provided for all ages. We at Haddon Home Care LLC provide care to seniors and disabled adults in Burlington and Camden Counties.
ADL’s are the tasks of everyday life and are considered hands-on, meaning a caregiver would be touching a client in order to complete these tasks. The six (6) basic ADL’s are:
- Bathing
- Dressing
- Eating
- Toileting
- Continence Care
- Transferring
Homemaking services are tasks that are not considered hands-on, and include:
- Light housekeeping
- Laundry
- Meal preparation
- Shopping and errands
- Pet care
Why is Home Care Important?
Individuals and family members are more inclined these days to keep themselves and their loved ones at home as long as possible, known as “aging in place”. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines aging in place as: “the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level.”
Who Provides Home Care?
Home care can be provided by a private duty caregiver or an agency. There are pros and cons to both.
Private Individual:
Pro:
- Cheaper than an agency
- Do not need to have any specialized certifications if they have the experience
- More control over who is taking care of the client
Con:
- Not covered by insurances
- If caregiver is sick, generally there is no replacement
- Can be difficult to verify experience
- Responsible for checking references, criminal background check, license verification (if applicable)
- If caregiver made $600-$2,400 in a calendar year – the client/family member has to send 1099-MISC form at end of year to the caregiver in order to claim the deduction on taxes
- If the caregiver made more than $2,400 in a calendar year – they are considered a household employee, and the client/family member is responsible for their payroll, taxes, and must follow Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) guidelines on minimum wage and overtime
Agency:
Pro:
- Covered by Worker’s Compensation Insurance, Unemployment Insurance, General & Professional Liability
- Agency is fully licensed and bonded
- If a caregiver calls out, the agency with send a replacement caregiver
- Caregivers providing personal care are required to be certified in NJ, so have been through a certification program, which encompasses both classroom and clinical instruction
- Agency will run criminal background check, license verification, and check references
- Caregiver’s payroll and taxes handled by the agency
Con:
- About 30% more expensive than hiring a private duty caregiver
- Less control in the caregiver(s) sent to take care of the client
What to Look for When Hiring a Home Care Agency
- Are they licensed in NJ as a Health Care Services Firm (HCSF)?
- When hiring an agency, a client/family member should always use a licensed agency, as they have to follow strict regulations in order to receive the license and stay licensed
- Are they accredited?
- Every HCSF must be accredited within a year of receiving their initial license, so they should be accredited or going through the process to become accredited
- Are the caregivers W2 employees, or independent contractors?
- If they are independent contractors, the agency has much less control over what the caregiver does/doesn’t do in the home, and it is more difficult to discipline/terminate an independent contractor.
- If the caregiver is an independent contractor and is paid $600 or more in one calendar year, then the client/family member would be required to give the caregiver a form 1099-MISC in order to claim any of the payments as a medical deduction on their taxes
- If the caregiver is paid more than $2,400 per year, they are considered a household employee, not an independent caregiver. The client is then responsible for the caregiver’s Social Security and Medicare taxes.
- What is the hiring process for a caregiver?
- Make sure that the agency is checking personal and professional references, running a nationwide criminal background check/database search, verifying any license or credentials the caregiver has, and performing an Office of Inspector General (OIG) Fraud Check
Deciding on home care for yourself or a loved one is never easy. We understand the difficulty in making this decision and are here to help. Our team of experts are available to answer any questions you may have and to help you navigate this process with peace of mind.
