Caring for an aging parent or spouse often means making tough decisions. You want the very best, safety, professionalism, and warmth, for your loved one. Hiring a friend or independent caregiver may seem cost-effective or more personal, but families should understand the hidden risks of private hires. In contrast, a licensed agency like Akin Care …
Caring for an aging parent or spouse often means making tough decisions. You want the very best, safety, professionalism, and warmth, for your loved one. Hiring a friend or independent caregiver may seem cost-effective or more personal, but families should understand the hidden risks of private hires. In contrast, a licensed agency like Akin Care vets and trains every caregiver, carries insurance, and provides backup support.
Our goal is to ease your worries so you can focus on your family. As Akin Co-Founder Ann King-Musza explains, our mission is “to provide the highest quality, most compassionate care…matching your loved ones with our highly trained, professional and compassionate caregivers.”
Rigorous Screening: Who’s Watching the Caregiver?
Private caregivers may not go through formal vetting. That means no guaranteed background checks or drug screening unless you do it yourself. Akin Care screens every caregiver thoroughly before they enter your home.
We verify identities, run criminal and driving record checks, and ensure aides are licensed or certified as needed. Caregivers are trained in safety protocols and emergency response. New Jersey law also requires accredited agencies to have licensed nurses oversee care. This RN supervision is not available with an unscreened private hire.
Legal and Financial Responsibility: You Become the Employer
Hiring someone directly makes you their employer. That means taxes, labor laws, and insurance issues fall on you. Many assume a “friend” can work casually, but legally, they’re considered a household employee. Social Security, Medicare, unemployment taxes, and reporting wages all apply. Without compliance, families risk fines and back taxes.
In contrast, an agency caregiver is on the agency’s payroll, not yours. Akin Care handles all accounting and tax obligations behind the scenes. You simply pay the agency’s invoice. There are no hidden employer responsibilities for you.
- Taxes and Payroll: Private caregivers do not count as independent contractors for tax purposes. If you pay them without withholding, you could be fined for unpaid taxes. Agencies avoid this risk by handling payroll.
- Wage and Hour Laws: Laws on minimum wage and overtime also apply. One source notes private hires often break these rules inadvertently, leading to penalties.
- Agreements and Policies: Without an agency’s support, families must write and enforce formal work agreements. Who handles vacation pay, sick leave, or termination? Mistakes here can invite legal disputes or wage claims.
Agencies like Akin Care have clear policies and legal support, ensuring all care complies with employment laws. We give you confidence, not more headaches.
Insurance and Liability: Who Pays When Accidents Happen?
Accidents can and do happen. If a home aide accidentally trips your loved one or a patient falls, who is legally responsible? In a private hire scenario, you are. The family is on the hook for any injury or property damage. Akin Care notes that without RN supervision, “the family is ultimately responsible for any liability”. Liability can include civil or even criminal penalties if proper care wasn’t provided. Compounding that, most homeowners’ insurance policies explicitly exclude domestic employees, so an injury on the job may not be covered.
By contrast, Akin Care carries full liability and workers’ compensation insurance. Our caregivers are bonded and insured, so our clients are protected from these risks. In other words, our insurance covers our mistakes, not your homeowner’s policy. If a caregiver makes an error or has an accident on the job, Akin Care’s insurance steps in, giving families real peace of mind.
Training, Skills, and Quality of Care
Many elder care tasks require proper training: safe transfers, medication help, or managing conditions like dementia. A private aide might not be trained for this. Some claim they can assist with diabetes or cognitive disorders, but without certification, there’s no guarantee.
Akin Care, on the other hand, trains our staff extensively. All caregivers have at least basic medical training and are educated in elder safety, first-aid, fall prevention, and disease-specific care (Alzheimer’s, COPD, etc.). We regularly provide updated in-service training.
- Background and Character: We require references and character checks. Private aides may come with informal referrals that lack accountability.
- Medical Tasks: Only licensed professionals should manage skilled care like injections or wound care. Our teams are trained accordingly.
- Safety Protocols: Agency caregivers are trained to notice red flags like infection, weight loss, or confusion. They report changes quickly.
Consistency and Backup Care
Private caregivers are individuals. If they quit, get sick, or take a vacation, there may be no backup. Many families are left without help.
Akin Care maintains a team of trained caregivers. If one is unavailable, we send another qualified professional so care continues without interruption. We also manage schedules, provide emergency coverage, and ensure continuity.
The Akin Care Difference
In summary, hiring an agency caregiver puts professional safeguards in place. Akin Care is licensed, insured, and accredited, with an RN overseeing all care. Our caregivers are bonded and trained to respect your loved one’s dignity and independence. We make it our job to handle the stressful details so you don’t have to. As one of our own founding stories recalls, after years of struggling to find consistent quality care, we created Akin so families wouldn’t face those same worries.
It’s natural to look for cost savings, but putting a caring neighbor on the payroll without the right protections can cost much more in peace of mind and money than expected. Instead, you can rely on Akin’s “personalized in-home care…delivered with heart”.
Key Takeaways for Families:
- Background & Screening: Ensure any caregiver has been properly vetted. Akin’s screening process is extensive.
- Training & Insurance: Confirm the caregiver’s training (including first aid) and that they are covered by liability and workers’ compensation insurance.
- Backup Plan: Ask who will cover an aide’s absence. With Akin, backup is guaranteed.
- Legal Employer Status: Remember that you become the employer of a private hire. Agencies avoid this issue entirely.
- Accreditation: New Jersey requires accredited agencies to have RN oversight. This extra nursing supervision is a big safety net that an independent aide won’t have.
Akin Care will always be with you in support and clarity through every phase. We, all of us, set our hearts on making sure that the loved one can live comfortably and happily at home. Free in-home consultations are available anytime, should you have questions or would like to find out how we may be of help. We will listen to your requirements and shine a light on our accredited, in-home services, for we believe that at Akin, the right care begins with a real conversation.
Let us be your partner in care. With Akin, you’re not just hiring a caregiver; you’re gaining peace of mind, knowing we’ve already taken care of all these critical details for you.
