Weigh the costs versus the care
Choosing the worker is a different challenge. Many people, worried about the ongoing expense of having help at home, which can be as much as $27 an hour and up, seek helpers through the newspaper or general internet advertising. Invariably, it is cheaper to go this route than to use a home care agency to find a worker. We suggest that it is far more dangerous to hire a worker independently.
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If the statistics on identity theft and financial elder abuse are not enough to convince the consumer to use an agency, consider the economic times. Desperate people, even those whom you think you know, can do desperate things. The temptation to take money, valuables, or misuse a credit card can be overwhelming for a worker whose spouse has lost a job, or who feels economic pressure in this recession. A licensed agency offers several layers of protection for the consumer.
First, the agency doing its job properly will do a thorough background check of every worker. This should include a national criminal records search. Hiring on one's own seldom involves checking anything more than the applicant's references. Those, as we know, can be falsified. Next, the agency should be insured, bonded, and licensed. If a worker steals, at least there is a remedy.
If a worker one hires from a newspaper ad steals, it might just be too bad. Homeowner's insurance may or may not cover the loss. The deductible may be too high to make it worth making a claim. Identity theft would likely not be covered by such a policy.