Sometimes people get confused between in-home therapy services and in-home caregiving services. The reality is that many families who need in-home therapy services will also need caregivers to help with the tasks of daily living. Here is a brief explanation of the two services and some helpful considerations for hiring in-home caregivers.

What is In-Home Therapy?

In-home therapy provides therapeutic rehabilitation services to persons recovering from an accident, surgery, stroke, illness, or, who are living with debilitating chronic illnesses or conditions. The therapists who provide the services are licensed medical professionals who are specialists in their profession. The goal of in-home therapy is to provide the patient the best possible coordinated therapeutic rehabilitation in the privacy and comfort of their home. This eliminates the need to travel to independent therapy centers for various rehabilitation treatment.

What is In-Home Caregiving?

In-home caregiving services provide daily senior care and recuperative care for patients recovering from a surgery or illness, continuing care for those with life-long challenges with everyday tasks, and help for new mothers.  The duties performed by in-home caregivers include dressing assistance, bathing assistance, feeding and meal preparation, grocery shopping, laundry, transportation, medication reminders, and much more. The in-home caregiver does not need to be a licensed medical professional but is generally trained to perform the various tasks of home care.

Who To Call for In-Home Caregiving?

There are two ways to approach hiring private duty care. One approach is to contact an established home care agency such as Synergy HomeCare. They will make sure that a family gets the right services, and for the right reasons. Other benefits of hiring an established caregiving service such as Synergy HomeCare include:

Agency Home Care

• Agency is responsible for all scheduling and back-up care.
• Agency caregivers are trained and supervised by agency.
• Employees are screened for background checks and references.
• Agency is responsible for employer taxes and reporting.
• Agency carries liability insurance and is responsible as the employer.
• Agency employees are insured and covered by worker’s compensation.
• Employees are bonded.

Private Caregiver/ Non-Agency

When you hire private caregivers, you are the employer and must assume all responsibility for scheduling, back-up care, supervision, taxes, liability, worker’s comp. etc. You must  also perform your own background checks.

Hiring qualified caregivers can indeed make life easier and it can help family caregivers avoid “burnout.” We want to thank Mitchell for sharing these important considerations to help families make the right choices for them.