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DON'T DO IT YOURSELF:

WHY USING A CAREGIVER AGENCY IS THE RIGHT CHOICE TO MAKE

Many families of seniors try to manage care for their loved ones either by doing the job themselves or taking on the task of finding their own caregivers. I have been in this industry for many years and I can tell you from experience it may sound easy and worth the time spent and money saved but that has not been the case for most family members I have spoken with. There are many reasons why recruiting, hiring, training and managing caregivers is better left to the professionals. Taking on the role of caregiver management can become consuming and truly interfere with your daily life and peace of mind.

The first benefit of using a caregiver agency is that they will solve problems for you. Having a deep roster is invaluable. If the caregiver you are depending on can't make it to work when scheduled what will that do to your day, week, or longer? Agencies have a roster of caregivers and therefore can provide you with backup before you even know you need it. A good care agency doesn't have just one or two backup plans, they have many. The agency you work with should guarantee their services; if they won't keep looking for the right caregiver then that is not the right agency for you. Your agency should be able to fill your shift with an appropriate caregiver within an hour. This is what you are paying for; an open shift is their problem not yours.

Another benefit of letting an agency do the hard work is, the flexibility to change you schedule as needed. When working with an agency, it is easier to make schedule changes because one call is all it takes. If you need additional shifts, your agency is just a phone call away, and the scheduling department will get the hours staffed promptly. Along those same lines, if the needs of your situation changes to a different level of care one call does it all as the saying goes. Life changes often come quickly and sometimes without warning. Your time is valuable and like most of us, you probably have a lot on your plate already. Do you have the time to drop everything to find someone to come in and help your senior with a moments notice?

Agencies have valuable experience with evaluating and matching a client's needs and a caregiver's strengths. Clearly not every client situation is alike and not all caregivers have the same skills to offer. Agencies have the resources to choose from many caregivers who may be suitable for the position but often, family members in charge of finding the right caregiver may not have those resources at their disposal.

Safety is another benefit to working with an agency. No caregiver should enter your home until a thorough criminal background check is complete. Each caregiver should also be bonded and have liability insurance. This is the responsibility of the agency to guarantee the caregivers are thoroughly covered for your peace of mind. When hiring your own caregivers this is often overlooked and regarded as not important. This may be because of cost, or because the family member is already overwhelmed with the screening process recruiting a qualified caregiver, or maybe because the family member doesn't know where to start with a background check and proper licensing and bonding. A proper background check along with proper liability insurance is too important to overlook.

The most rewarding benefit of hiring an agency is to remove you from the "gopher" and "problem solver" positions. The agency should take on those roles and responsibilities. If you have the proper agency in place to run the errands and solve the problems the relationship you have with your senior will not have to change. The time you spend together will be relaxing and enjoyable not filled with to do lists and complaints of the day. That is reason enough to stay away from the Do It Yourself model if finding care for your senior is your responsibility.

It is true that working through an agency is more expensive. At first glance, it seems as if finding your own care isn't that hard and shouldn't be much of a problem. To a degree that is true. Finding a caregiver who works alone isn't hard. The difficult part is finding the qualified caregiver when you need the care along with maintaining a schedule that works for both of you. Through the years I have met family members who tried to manage care for their seniors without success. They were exhausted and at their wits end from trying to keep caregivers working for them. When my agency was hired I could see the frustration just melt away within the first day.

Natalie Schneider CGCM has worked with the elderly for over a decade as a registered nurse and as a geriatric care manager in the Kansas City metropolitan area. She owns and operates American Companion Care Kansas City's most responsive agency. For more information regarding elderly senior management you may contact her via email at natalie@americancompanioncare.com.