Should I Hire an Independent Caregiver - Home Sweet Home Care Inc.

There are lots of reasons to make sure you are using an employee of a company versus a privately hired caregiver. Here is chart to help you understand the differences between and employee caregiver, such as you would get through Home Sweet Home Care Inc., and an Independent Caregiver that you can hire on your own.

Task	Home Sweet Home Care, Inc.	Independent Caregivers
Caregiver Back-up & Flexibility	Home Sweet Home Care staff is available at all times. If your home care requirements increase, we are ready and capable to fill that need. We can provide care 24 hours/day and 365 days a year.. With Home Sweet Home Care Inc. you also have the flexibility to decrease or discontinue your homecare temporarily, due to vacations, a weekend away or holiday away with family, knowing that we are just a phone call away when you need us again. Our minimum requirement in any given week is two four-hour shifts..	None. Any backup or increase in required care is completely up to you. Any decrease in your care needs could result in your caregiver leaving you to work for someone else who can provide more hours. It would be difficult to find an independent caregiver willing to work only eight hours a week.
Bonded and insured home care staff	Home Sweet Home Care’s staff are bonded and insured to protect our clients. Home Sweet Home Care Inc maintains and updates all licenses and certifications for our staff.	Most of the time there is none. If there is, then it is up to you to verify and monitor the bonded and insured status of the caregiver(s) in your home.
Quality control and supervision of the caregiver	•All our client’s care levels are carefully monitored and supervised by a Home Sweet Home Care supervisor. • Periodic spot visits are performed by the Supervisor and our CSA to assure service quality. • Our caregivers are given performance reviews on a regular basis as well as ongoing training to enhance their skills.	None – Staff is completely independent and supervises itself. Any monitoring of the service they provide will have to come from you.
Thorough criminal background checks, driving records, TB test and drug testing on caregivers	All Caregivers are carefully screened at the time of hire with several layers of background checks. A complete driving record is obtained. A negative TB test is required. Random drug testing is a matter of policy	Obtaining any of these is completely up to you. A background check alone can cost as much as $50-$100 for each person checked.
Payroll tax responsibility	Home Sweet Home Care Inc is responsible for all Taxes, and FICA, Federal, and State are calculated collected, reported, and remitted to the proper tax authorities as required by law. We do not use independent contractors ever! When you pay Home Sweet Home Care Inc. for caregiver services, you are paying a corporation for a service. You are NOT paying an employee.	You have to deal with taxes associated with paying wages to someone. This includes FICA, Federal, and State taxes that must be collected. You cannot 1099 a Household Employee. Here is a link to the IRS Publication 926 which is a guide to Household Employees tax requirements If you do not follow IRS rules then you are breaking the law and can be fined, owe back taxes and more.
Worker’s compensation covers any caregiver’s on-the-job injury	Home Sweet Home Care Inc. carries worker’s compensation insurance, which means that our employees are covered by insurance for on-the-job injuries.	None. A private individual can sue you if she is injured while working for you. Many home owner’s policies will not cover injury claims for “workers” or require a special policy for that coverage.
Licensed by the State	Subject to inspections and regulations by the state to ensure that tasks beyond skill level and training are not being performed by employee (giving medication, bathing, lifting, etc.)	Not regulated by State.