Understanding Senior Home Care Options

Not all care is the same – find which home care Brantford ON option is right for you

Senior home care services can help seniors live safely in the comfort of their own homes. We understand that it might be difficult for you or your loved one to assess the options of home care Brantford ON has to offer. There are a few different types of care providers and services that are available but Comfort Keepers of Cambridge and Brantford can assist you with making the right decision. Before you select a company or individual to provide your loved one with care, make sure you know all of the information about them. Also make sure that you know about their services and ask questions that you may have.

Typical Care Services

Care providers offer a wide range of services that allow seniors to remain safely in the comfort of their own home. The most common senior home care Brantford ON services that are offered are:

• Personal Care Services- Personal care services can include services like bathing and hygiene assistance, feeding and special diet services and mobility assistance. This type of service helps seniors to remain healthy and follow any diet or exercise restrictions from a doctor while keeping them mobile in and outside of the home.
• Companion Care Services- Companion care services can include meal preparation, laundry services, light housekeeping, incidental transportation and even something as simple as a conversation with a senior at meal time or reminiscing about their past. This type of service has been proven to enhance the health, happiness and quality of life of seniors.
• Specialized Services- Specialized services are services that require special training and attention when a part of a care plan. Specialized services can include dementia care, Alzheimer’s care, and private duty nursing. This type of service can be very crucial to a senior being able to remain in their home. Those who don’t want to go to a nursing home for this specialized care.

Business Structures of Senior Home Care Brantford ON Providers

There are three main business structures that senior home care Brantford ON providers operate under. These business structures include: independent providers, employment-based agencies and registries. They are substantially different and it is important to know the difference. The main differences between these business structures are how they staff, how they charge for services, and who assumes the role and responsibilities of an employer.

Independent/ Private Providers

In the case of an independent provider, the client is the employer and fully responsible for all tasks. Which include the costs of the senior home care. As the employer of the caregiver, you are responsible for all employment taxes and deductions. This includes securing the appropriate type of insurance for your care provider. Because most homeowners’ policies do not include the expenses associated with an injury or damages to a care provider. Before hiring an independent provider, although not required, it can be beneficial to perform background checks. This helps to ensure that the provider has the right qualifications and training.

Although it might seem financially sensible to go with an independent provider, there is a lot of things to keep in mind when wanting the highest quality care solution for your loved one.

Employment-Based Agencies

An employment-based agency, like Comfort Keepers of Cambridge, can be a corporation, subsidiary or franchise. With an employment-based agency, care providers are employees of the organization. They take care of all of the insurance and paperwork related to hiring care providers. The agency conducts the background checks for you. Then they verifies their qualifications and takes care of all of the fringe cost (insurance, taxes, etc.). This type of business structure is very beneficial to their clients and their families. Some benefits include: the luxury of knowing that your care provider is qualified for the type of care that your loved one needs, organizations have a large roster of care providers to ensure that you get the care when you need it, and they provide ongoing supervision and training to ensure quality care.

Registries and Placement Agencies

With the registry and placement agency business structure, organizations build and manage databases of care providers. But they are not actually employ the care providers. Their list of care providers is made up of independent contractors but can sometimes vary. In some cases, even when using a registry organization, the client can be considered the care providers employer. Therefore responsible for the taxes and insurance coverage of their employee. Some registries offer coverage, but it is important to know the extent of the coverage that is offered. Care providers that are on a registries list have usually passed background checks but are usually not provided with training. If you choose to go with a registry or placement agency make sure you understand the following. Which includes who employs the caregiver, what kind of background checks were completed, who is responsible for insurance and taxes, type of training the care provider has received and how the care provider is paid.

If you have any questions about our senior home care Brantford ON options, please contact Comfort Keepers of Cambridge and Brantford, ON for information. Our Comfort Keepers team are carefully selected and employed by your local Cambridge office and are bonded and insured.