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My mom can afford a companion, one day s week so I can get out to do errands. We will pay $15 an hour for 5 hours. Should I write a check or pay cash? I don't want a contract, or pay taxes and don't care about tax deduction. I just don't want a problem with this if our when mom may need to pay for Medicaid in the future.
Thanks for any info.

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Sorry, not pay for Medicaid...but need Medicaid....
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It's not your responsibility for taxes, but the person you hire. Shouldn't effect anything having to do with Medicaid, but you can always call them to make sure. We paid by check, I never wanted them to think we had cash lying around the house. Unless you are hiring a friend, then cash is nice.
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Sometimes a domestic worker (caretaker, in this instance) prefers cash as they don't want to have to pay taxes. The only effect it might have on Medicaid would be IF you were in the "spend down" period. That's the period between your application for Medicaid and Your eligibility date. Also, if you go through an agency to find a caretaker, you will, no doubt, be writing the check to the agency. May find a more dependable person that way. Good luck - glad you will be able to get some needed time away!
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We went through an agency that helps pay for our companion, check your area for local agencies that help with care for the elderly. I live in Connecticut and went through state to get help. If she has state medical it should pay for a companion
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I'd have thought a reputable agency would be your best bet. Apart from quality and tax issues - much more difficult to supervise yourself - if your regular relief caregiver is ill or anything like that they'll be able to send somebody else. They should be happy to set up an ad hoc arrangement that won't tie you in for longer than you want.
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Keep in mind if you go through an agency, they often have a minimum amount of hours they require you to pay for. Not all of them, but many. Also, if you're willing to pay 15 per hour, understand that the agency will charge you 15ish, but will only pay the person actually coming out to sit with her 9-10 per hour Depending on where you live), plus then they have taxes coming out of that money as well. You would probably be better off finding a person with good references that works privately, since a person who gets paid 15 per hour from you, is going to be more likely to be more invested in your mom than someone who ends up getting about 8 bucks per hour through an agency. As a caregiver that has worked both ways, I would prefer not to work for an agency again, but it's sometimes difficult to find people who need me without one! Double-check her insurance as well, sometimes it will provide for someone to come out and provide companion care.
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Never pay in cash. You are always safer with an agency, they background check, carry the workmen's comp and unemployment insurance and do the payroll taxes. They can also call in a sub when the caregiver can't make it to work.
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Yea an agency is better as I've learned the hard way. A gal quit on Mom, then tried to get unemployment! We fought her and won. She tried to say she was an independent contracter. I've heard usually the employer doesn't win but I held my ground! . Well now the employment agency is saying we ran a business and is going after my poor mom who doesn't have much $..my advice. Be careful who u hire always background check. We had a fee duzies! Just be careful. Agencies is the way to go...
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I paid for an agency home health aide for my father for 5 days a week while I was "freed up" to work. The agency sent monthly bills and because you are paying the agency who gets their cut and the aide, the price I paid was $21.00/hour. They claim they can provide a substitute but if your work demands an early start time as mine did 7:30 am and the agency opens at 8:30 am or later, good luck getting the substitute aide there by 7 am if the home health aide calls off sick because her minor children are home sick. So I had to have a backup aide without an agency who would cover the 7 am to whatever time the agency sent a substitute. Many times they sent no substitute claiming their aides were all assigned. It was a nightmare when the regular aide could not come. My employers (a school system) wanted me at work on time because they could not get a substitute teacher the morning of my absence.

If you know a private companion who is recommended by friends who have used him or her, I would try them out. I would still write a check to have a record that you paid them. I started any new aide on a visit with my dad and then a short period of time 4 hours or so. I usually made the first visits on weekends where I was in and out of the home getting errands done and could observe how they worked with my father. If they liked seniors and would talk to them that was a plus, if they sat on the sofa, ignored my father and played on their cell phone--I did not have them back.

Again if you have a companion, for 1 time a week to do errands, the companion should be able to keep the elder safe, help as needed. I did not expect the substitute home health aide to bathe or do my dad's laundry etc. It was enough if they got him dressed, helped him with going to the bathroom and walked with him to make sure he was safe. I left his lunch on those days and set out his breakfast on the table before I left for work.

Good luck, but you need to engage help as often as you can to get relief. If you
burnout you are no help for your mother. This long care caregiving is all about pacing yourself and figuring out what is the best use of your time. What best helps you care for your mother and reduces the stress. Old age will win out in the end but you are making your mother's last years on the earth as comfortable as possible. It is no small thing you are doing for her. Feel proud.
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Hiring a company canbe be stessful when they aide cant come not once have they sent a replacement.My moms on medcaid im thinking of hiring someone myself.Companys i have found just send a body .
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I am a private paid caregiver... each time I take a new job, I work long term, I always ask if they have a 'back up'.... if not, I call around to my local caregiver friends to see if they could fill in if I got sick, ect.... then gave the family the contact number.... it is then out of my hands...I have excellent references. and supply them when I go for an interview..... I will not work for an agency as they get the money and I do the work.... it is hard to find reliable help either way you go..... one good place to call is your local hospital... they usually have a list of caregivers and also NH's have aides that pick up extra work..... but be very choosy... follow your instincts.... regardless of where you hire someone from....if it feels wrong, it is...... good luck.....
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I have one lady that can only work weekends during the scl year (she goes to the lakes with the family in the summer.) & she is amazing, she will even clean the carpets, and she only charges me $10 an hr. She works full time with my daughter and is a jewel. (of course i pay her extra if she cleans the carpet...she just does it while mom watches and they get along fine.) Anyway, the rest of the time, i take about 5 1/2 hrs once a wk, and pay $20 an hr. Now this lady is also great, and comes from an agency. If i didn't have the referrel from my daughter of the first one, i think i would only go thru the agency, because my Mother is like having a child and i'm just not that trusting.
The bank (who is guardian of the money) told me the agency will be paid by them, but to make sure that i pay the other one with cash. She said that otherwise, paying by check, i would have to deduct taxes and the person would have to report the money. The lady doesn't want to go that route, but that is what the bank lady said.
Good luck, because i just started using someone about a month ago and had become used to not going anywhere, but i realize how important it is to be able to get away some, even if it's not doing anything special but shopping or even GETTING A PEDICURE (-: (It's Wonderful).
Also, the lady from the agency said that they don't even get paid HALF what the agency charges, but like pamstegman said, the agency has insurance and they screen their workers.
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There is a company that works with Medicaid /Medicare that covers some of the employment issues. They cover the employee, and handle the taxes, and do the police background checks. It's for sure nationwide: Public Partnerships, LLC One Cabot Rd. Suite 102 Medford, MA 02155 . You should have a local office near by as well. PACE is another option, it is privately funded and also funded by Medicaid. There are wonderful PACE locals and then there are some not able to do as much. Or some PACE locals will do everything, from installing hand rails to ramps plus bathing, some will clean the house,fix dinner, then returns to put the patient to bed.and others that will do little of this. Public Partnership phone number is 866.259.3009 if they do the workman's comp thing its a safe way to go. Agencies here often charge 30 dollars an hour and pay help 9 per hour. If you can find several locals, divide the hours and pay them more than crap wages I bet you would see more serious care
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You put a lot at risk when you dont pay workman's compensation.
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I had good results with a ad on Craig's List. I tried Care first with a job listing developed from their questions list on what you need. I just copied that ad and posted it on Craig's List.
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Call your Church Secretary; she often has Parishioners she can recommend who have done private duty Caretaker work for several years. Agencies here charge $20-$27 an hour & pay the Caretaker $7-$12 an hour. Smart Caretakers go out on their own w excellent references, & offer background checks (a must) & drug testing. I would never go through the state, some arrangements only pay the Caretaker $3 an hour-no quality there. The only time paying cash is an issue is when you have to prove to medicaid, Veterans, or relatives fighting over a trust fund "where the money went." If you're paying $15 a hour cash, get someone energetic & ask them to do chores while you're gone, preferably your least liked ones! An energetic Caretaker will keep herself busy instead of on the couch, but encourage one on one interaction & games/crafts every shift w Mom, too, if possible, so Mom feels like she has a new friend! I wouldn't suggest multiple Caretakers, it can fluster & confuse clients, one she can bond with eventually is best. I'm a Caretaker & I come with 2 back up Caretakers, but I give my employer their background checks & I hire them in, in case of emergency, don't want to be cutting my own hours by handing out everyone else's phone numbers! Lol
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We've had both agency, and private, caregivers.
The agency charged almost $30/hour, with a 3 hour minimum, and yes they did handle all the taxes, ins, etc. They also screened their workers. But we found out the workers received only about $10-11/hour---meaning most of what we paid, when to the franchise owner. That's fine if it's what you want to do.
But, you can do your own background checking, and have a caregiver contract which specifies they are independent contractors (there is info on IRS about this).
Nowadays everyone must have umbrella liability coverage on their home/auto/business, so check with your insurance agent, that would cover any lawsuits if the caregiver claimed they were "injured".
As far as back-up caregivers.....if you cannot live without a caregiver, if you're THAT dependent, IMHO you probably should be in a facility, and even the agencies do NOT have backup people available on extremely short notice (like if your regular caregiver wakes up with a fever, the agency is NOT going to be able to find a replacement who can be at your home in 30 mins, that's just not humanly possible).
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I hired a woman from care and I just pay her cash. With small amounts. I personally don't think it's necessary to get legal with the transactions. This woman is responsible and very flexible. I pay her $10.00 an hour.
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I have asked this type of question before I think. My mom is not on Medi-Cal (California) but is on Medicare/Healthnet. I have to find a part time job and I am her only caregiver. She does not have enough money to pay out of pocket for someone to come in. Is there something I can do to find out what is available or who should I contact. I would really appreciate some feedback.
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I always write a check and reflect "eldercare" in the memo portion. That way, I use it as a medical deduction. What do you feel Medicaid has to do with hiring a companion?
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There may be non-profit organizations in your city that do this sort of thing. Look around and ask around.
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I have my own business Kindred Heart Companion Services LLC, so I have to receive checks for tax purposes, but it all depends on the person that you hire to take care of mom and what they would prefer. Right now I work for myself not a big business and I have people who are ready and trustworthy, but I have to build my cliental. As far as the money issue I truly just don't trust everyone knowing that there is money laying around, and I don't know where you live, but I feel that calling a companion services would be a better choice. If you have a close friend who can help out would be better, but if not check around and see if you feel comfortable with who they send out and mom is comfortable you pay attention see how they work and take it from there. There are good people out there ask GOD for guidance and HE will send who you need...
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I would like to highly suggest that you visit Care an finding the right help and companion for your mother. There should be a Care Giver that lives near your mother's house. I would also like to highly suggest that you hire (2) Care Givers who are willing to work alternating weeks and who are available for emergency situations. The individuals listed on Care can do complete care including assisting the elder with their bath and shaving. I agree that you need to pay the Care Giver with a check to pay them for their service. Please note that this past year I hired (2) wonder Care Givers from Care and they were worth their "weight and gold". Please note I just discovered that if your father served in the war (there is a time period), the VA might possibly approve and pay you as a Care Giver in taking care of your mother. I wish you the very best in helping your mother in finding the right care and companion.
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If you decide to hire someone directly, I suggest the following that I did: Talk to the social worker/ case worker at the local senior center and the VNA. They won't give
you actual referrals probably, but you can ask them for who they consider the top 10 home health aids in the area, and their phone numbers. Then you compare the two lists for the names that appear on both. Then make phone calls. This is how I did it and got a wonderful woman who was flexible, reasonably priced and had backup people she knew in case she couldn't make it. I did pay her cash, and considered her an independent contractor. Have no idea if she paid taxes because it was her concern. But I just kept a little book with dates and amounts and her hours worked, just in case it would be needed at any point. We used her for years and she was practically a member of our family by the time my mother passed away.
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felicitym: your comments were right on. :)
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Write a check. Some companies charge you more than $15/hour and want a deposit up front and a guarantee of a certain number of hours a week. What I did was go through the local nursing school and see if anyone wanted work as an aide/attendant. The nursing students have already been fingerprinted and they have experience lay people do not. The student nurses we hired have been great. There are also grants out there for people for attendant care. You can work with a social worker to find out more.
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I'll never go through an agency again. One of the "caregivers" was crazy and a thief. When I reported her they sent out a string of different "caregivers" until finally one day I had a now show. When I fired them for no-show, they kept my $500 deposit. Better you go through friends, family or perhaps your church. I would rather walk over burning coals and sleep on a bed of nails than to try to depend on this bunch of clowns. My attorney advised me to drop it. My time was worth more than $500 and he did not want to take the case. So much for agencies. I've had many friends who had the same situation.
If I ever hire again, I intend to go through a POE, I use that for my payroll at my company. They will do the background check. I find and screen the caregiver. I trusted the agency which came well recommended by the "Visiting Nurse" service that helped out when Mother came home from the hospital. Shees! I didn't lose my shirt, but I did lose a new coat, a lamp, some flower bulbs and gawd knows what else in a period of a few short weeks.
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Be careful. Go through a company, keep track of what the aide does for your mom and with your mom, but also talk to your mom about how her day with the aide went. My recent experience with a health aide was I found out she was trying to talk dad into paying her more on the side, giving her stuff, etc... I recommend people set up a video cam the same as you would if you had little ones and a nanny in your home.
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I found a cousin in my family, for $15 an hour. She will start one day a week for 5 hours, just so I can do a few errands. I will just pay her cash...her request.
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^ Good for you. That is a great solution.
I pay workers with a check. Just so there is no "Oh, you didn't pay me last week." But, it looks like you have your problem fixed.
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