Hiring Elder Care? You May Now Be Their Boss

As the population continues to age, the demand for senior caregivers has risen significantly. Finding a reliable and compassionate caregiver for your elderly loved ones can be a challenging task. However, with the right approach, you can ensure that your senior family members receive the highest quality of care.

In this article, we will explore three effective methods to hire elder care that will provide the support and assistance your loved ones need.

There are several reasons for employing an in-home senior caregiver for an elderly family member, even those who are healthy and active. From simple duties like companionship and conversation to household chores like shopping, light housework, and preparing meals, senior caregivers can help the elderly maintain independence and high quality of life. Or you may need a senior caregiver who provides physical assistance and helps with hygiene or other personal care services. You may only need a caregiver for a few days a week or certain hours during the day. Some situations may require a full-time or live-in caregiver.

Depending on how you find your elder care, employing a senior caregiver for an elderly loved one could mean you’re now in charge and considered a household employer. Whatever your senior care needs, there are three ways to hire an elder caregiver:

Hiring senior care through a home health care service

A home health care service will employ the caregiver to work in your senior’s home and pay the employee and file taxes as well as comply with tax, wage, and labor laws. In this case, the home care service controls the job duties of the caregiver since it is considered the employer.

The agency will select the caregiver and send them to your senior’s home. However, you may not get the same caregiver every time. You will pay the service versus the elder caregiver directly.

Hiring elder care through a referral or placement agency

A referral or placement agency recruits the senior care worker on your behalf. They charge a placement fee for this service and then hand over control of employment to your family. Now you are responsible for payroll, taxes, insurance, and compliance. The placement agency often has several candidates for you to interview and choose from based on your hiring needs. The agency handles background checks and initial screenings for the elder care worker. typically you would use this service for full-time hours for senior care. If skilled nursing is needed, a home health care agency should be used.

A referral or placement agency may also offer services such as background screening of candidates, post-hire assistance, and backup or replacement elder care. Most agencies that place household help and nannies can place elder care as well.

Hiring a senior caregiver independently

If you choose to find elder care without the assistance of an agency, you will save money by avoiding the placement fee. However, you take on the time burden of searching for an appropriate caregiver and you give up access to the expertise of the agency. All the work to find, recruit, screen, and hire the senior care worker is your responsibility. You will also take care of payroll, taxes, insurance, and compliance.

Hiring a senior caregiver requires careful consideration to ensure the well-being and comfort of your elderly loved ones. Whether you opt to use a homecare service, a placement agency, or find elder care on your own, each method has its advantages. By following these three effective methods, you can find a compassionate and skilled caregiver who will provide the necessary support and assistance for your senior family members, giving them peace of mind and improving their overall quality of life. With two of the methods, hiring on your own or through a placement agency means that you are the employer and must follow household employer laws including withholding and remitting the appropriate employment taxes.

GTM can help with senior care

While being an employer gives you more control over the hiring process and your caregiver’s employment, the administrative side of in-home senior care may seem like a lot of work. And it can be. The IRS estimates that it takes a household employer 60 hours each year to comply with all federal and state tax laws. It’s a hassle and there are risks involved if you don’t get it right. Even unintentional violations of tax, wage, or labor laws can lead to thousands of dollars in fines and penalties.

This is where partnering with a firm like GTM Payroll Services can remove the risks, hassles, and worries of being an employer of an in-home elder caregiver. Call (800) 929-9213 for a complimentary, no-obligation consultation with a household employment expert. Learn how we can manage it all saving you time and providing peace of mind that your payroll and tax administration is being done the right way.

Free Senior Care Payroll and Tax Guide

Doing senior care payroll and taxes yourself? Download our complimentary Senior Care Payroll and Tax Guide. In this new guide, we lay out the steps on how to comply with tax, wage, and labor laws when you hire an in-home senior caregiver.