Angels in the wings... The advantages of having an agency manage your care.
What are the benefits of receiving services from an agency as opposed to hiring an individual from your community?
When we talk to people considering care, we often hear people say that they could just hire their neighbor to look after a loved one in their home and they would get “the same care” that an agency could offer but for a lower cost. Let’s look at the differences in the type of care and support you get from each type of service.
Having a care plan is essential to making sure your loved one is receiving the proper care they require. Visiting Angels of Lynchburg has a qualified team that evaluates the care recipient from a medical standpoint, performs a safety assessment of their home, and then ascertains the level of care needed. Our RN can properly assess your needs, with continual check-ins to make sure the client’s needs are being met, as well as ongoing training for our caregivers to keep them up to date on proper procedures, vaccinations and screenings so that your loved ones are protected from any medical issues from a caregiver. This also provides our care-giving staff with a support system for questions, as well as keeping them up to date on providing the best care possible. We also involve the family and individuals who need care in developing the plan to make sure everyone is informed and updated on any factors that may change the care plan as care progresses.
While a private caregiver may seem helpful, there are many risks associated with untrained care being provided to you or a loved one. A small mistake in care, that may not be caught without proper training, can be the start of a decline in health that is difficult to overcome.
Who are you hiring? All personal care agencies are required by the state of Virginia to run a background check on their employees. Visiting Angels of Lynchburg not only meets this minimum requirement, we also perform a second independent background check that includes multiple professional references on each employee before they start work. We screen our employees very carefully to make sure we are providing a safe environment in the home as well as verifying any certifications they may need to provide proper care. We also verify they are eligible to work in the U.S. and handle all tax paperwork for them to ensure they are compliant with the IRS with proper Social Security and income tax withholding.
When hiring an individual, even someone you have known for many years, it’s impossible to know if they have been convicted of a crime in the past. There could also be fines if either party is found to not be reporting income to the IRS as required.
What happens when a caregiver is sick or has an emergency? Visiting Angels of Lynchburg employs many qualified caregivers that can work as a team to provide consistent care. If a caregiver is sick, we can send another Visiting Angels team member to fill in to avoid a gap in care.
If a private caregiver is sick, you have no care, or even worse, if they try to work while being contagious you have a potential for spreading an illness that can be more harmful to individuals receiving care.
Visiting Angels of Lynchburg also carries insurance to protect the client from damages to themselves and property. While we always take steps to prevent any kind of harm to a client or their assets, if an accident does occur resulting in damages, you are protected.
With a private caregiver, there is no protection for the caregiver or the care recipient.
When selecting a caregiver, Visiting Angels can match the needs with the abilities and even personalities of our caregivers. We will bring the caregiver out to meet you and have a trial period to make sure it is a good fit with the client having final say over their care provider.
With a private caregiver, you don’t have a chance to find out if the skills needed are there until you feel like you have no other choice. In addition to not getting the care you need, your personal relationships can be strained.
When looking at care for a loved one, it’s always important to be informed. Schedule a meeting with a personal care company and know your options before care is needed. Develop a relationship with that personal care company so when it is time to start care, you already have a plan in place. Knowing what to expect and having a plan in place will give you peace of mind when it is time to provide care.