Best Practices when Hiring Independent Senior Caregivers

When you begin the process of hiring independent senior caregivers it can be easy to become overwhelmed. One of the best ways to set yourself up for success is to go into the process of hiring armed with knowledge. With our guide you can better organize your hiring efforts.

 

Set Schedule Expectations

One of the first things you need to decide before arranging care is what your care schedule will be. Once you determine that and find caregivers who meet your expectations, make sure they clearly understand what the schedule expectations are. How often is your loved one receiving care? What are the exact hours of the shift? Be specific and be sure that the caregiver you have chosen understands their exact schedule to prevent miscommunication.

 

Clarify Care Responsibilities

It is important to understand exactly what your loved one needs before hiring a senior caregiver. If you do not fully understand their care needs, take the time to perform an assessment to give you a clearer idea. When you do contact a caregiver, be sure that they understand fully what they are expected to do when they are caring for your aging loved one. If they need to perform any specific tasks, such as administering medications or utilizing medical equipment, be sure to clear that before their first shift. This will confirm that everyone is on the same page and cut down on misunderstandings.

 

Explain Payment Arrangements

When you hire an independent caregiver, you are agreeing to become their employer. You also take on the responsibility of managing caregiver payments. There are several different methods of payment that you can utilize.+

 Some payment suggestions are:

• Personal checks
• Prepaid debit cards
• Well documented cash transactions

Bear in mind that when you employ someone, they become your independent contractor. Because of this you need to determine who will be responsible for the corresponding employment taxes. Either your caregiver or you can manage this documentation, but someone needs to manage it in order to ensure there is no fraudulent activity occurring.

 

Are you and your caregiver on the same page?

Make sure that both you and your caregiver understand your expectations. Create an employment agreement to clarify any misunderstandings when hiring independent senior caregivers. Download our template to start organizing your hiring process.

[maxbutton id=”1″ url=”https://www.caregogi.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Caregogi-Employment-Agreement.pdf” text=”Download Template.” ]