BECOMING INFORMED WHEN CHOOSING A CARE PROVIDER

We at Earth Angels have learned a great deal about hiring practices and have perfected our skills by way of multiple interviews, police checks, reference checks,abuse checks, drivers abstracts, etc.This process takes our Human Resources Department a tremendous amount of time to complete. We then provide training, supervision and follow ups on a continuous basis. Are you as a family, prepared to access and perform these essential screening tools ? You may find that hoping to save a few dollars by hiring someone privately is not worth the risks involved. Ultimately everyone wants and deserves the best possible care for themselves and their loved ones. When you hire someone privately, then you personally take on the legal and ethical responsibilities as the employer. When you hire a home care agency, the agency acquires all of the responsibilities of being the employer.

HIRING PRIVATELY VERSUS A HOME CARE AGENCY

WHEN HIRING SOMEONE PRIVATELY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THESE FACTS

* You are responsible for determining what type of care plan is needed, as well as the frequency of these services in order to effectively provide care for yourself or a loved one. In time, care requirements change and it is crucial to have the skills of a professional to help implement those changes at the appropriate times.

* You, as a private employer, may not have access to the knowledge or skills that may be required to troubleshoot when situations arise pertaining to the care of yourself or a loved one.

* You are responsible for the cost of the hiring process from advertising, interviewing to screening.

* You will have to thoroughly screen potential employees by performing criminal record background checks, abuse checks and reference checks, or you could be putting yourself or a loved one at risk.

* You are the back- up if the caregiver is sick, goes on vacation,doesn't show up for the shift, or happens to quit. You will need to spend more money and valuable time to find a substitute caregiver.

* You become the trainer and supervisor, making sure that the person you are going to hire has the proper skill sets to do the job.

* You are responsible as the employer when hiring someone privately, to report employee earnings and remit employee and employer contribution payments for CPP, EI, and taxes to Revenue Canada in a prompt and timely manner. You are also responsible to pay the caregiver while they are on vacation.Please be aware for your own protection, that in Canada it is against the law to pay someone and not report their earnings.You as the employer, must declare all caregiver earnings. If not, you and the privately paid caregiver, may face severe penalties and/or large fines.

* Your risks for an "under the table", cash arrangement are real and significant. Aside from being illegal, clients could risk theft of personal possessions, abuse, claims by caregivers that they have injured themselves on the client's property, and the chance that caregivers will report their employers to government agencies.

* You as the employer are totally responsible if someone was to injure themselves in your home or on your property. This could result in medical bills or even a lawsuit. Most people have honourable intentions, but when their livelihood is threatened by an injury, the need for human survival may take precedence.

WHAT MAKES A HAPPY AND CONTENT CAREGIVER

* It is a well known fact within the home care profession that caregivers are much happier when they know that they have the on-going support of a team of professionals belonging to a home care agency. They never feel alone, knowing that help is just a phone call away. They enjoy benefits such as free education and training, paid vacations, time off without worrying about who will replace them, employment insurance if they happen to need it, Canada pension plan benefits for when they retire, life insurance, medical and dental coverage supporting themselves as well as their families health and well-being. Care-giving is a very respected and responsible career and caregivers have the right to acquire these benefits. In general, happy supported caregivers tend to stay in their positions longer, lessening the need to bring new faces into the clients homes. Contented caregivers lead toward contented clients.

THE BENEFITS OF HIRING A PROFESSIONAL AGENCY LIKE EARTH ANGELS

When considering the services of a professional home care agency, you should ask for client references. If they are a reputable agency they will not hesitate to provide you with references from past and present clients. Also ask friends and neighbors if they know of anyone who may have had services provided by the agency in question......