When a senior loved one is in need of home care services, there are a variety of available choices, and deciding where to turn can be overwhelming. For instance, should you hire a professional home care agency, a privately hired caregiver, or use a caregiving registry? And how can you determine which home care option is best for your loved one’s specific needs? There are pros and cons with most choices, but when it comes to in-home care, the answer is clear: hiring professional elder care in Palo Alto like Visiting Angels is the best choice for the highest quality care for a variety of reasons:

1. No need to search for a safe, professional caregiver. A reputable senior care agency not only checks references and performs meticulous background and driving record checks, but also takes the time to find the perfect caregiver match for each individual, taking into account personality, hobbies and common interests as well as requested schedule and geographic location. 
2. Agency caregivers are fully trained, experienced, and supervised. An in-home care agency typically provides ongoing caregiver training as well as initial orientation. Ongoing supervision also ensures that any necessary changes or assistance can be identified and addressed.
3. Tax requirements fall on the agency – not on you. If someone hires a home caregiver through a registry or independent hire (such as through answering a “help wanted” ad), the client is responsible for all of the caregiver’s mandated taxes (which often is not disclosed). On the other hand, because all caregivers from an agency are employees of that agency, all payroll taxes, workers’ compensation, liability insurance, and more are paid for by the agency.
4. Caregiver sickness and vacation time off are covered. It’s inevitable that at some point every one of us, including caregivers, will become ill or need time off to take a vacation or attend to other personal needs. An agency provides a back-up caregiver whenever a senior’s primary caregiver is sick or on vacation. In addition, an agency handles all worker discipline, to address and correct situations such as showing up late to work.
5. Leave the supervision to the agency. A home care agency provides supervision of all caregivers by a qualified individual. With an independently hired caregiver or one obtained through a registry, there is no care supervision, opening up a client to the potential for financial, emotional or physical abuse.

We know that when selecting elder care in Palo Alto and surrounding areas, that your family has options from which to choose. At Visiting Angels, we believe our home care services are second to none, due to the high quality of our management, the training we provide our caregivers, and our dedicated caregivers themselves. We would love to speak with you to answer any questions you may have about our in-home care services, to provide you with some resources specific to your loved one’s needs, or to arrange for a free in-home consultation. Contact us any time at (408) 735-0977.