So the “Aha” moment arrives and you begin to realize that being a family caregiver for your parent or spouse has taken its toll on your physical and mental health. Your family and friends have been telling you this for quite sometime now but you’ve rationalized your situation by telling yourself “No one cares for my Mom the way I do,” or “I promised him I would never put him in a nursing home.” If you find yourself in this predicament, you are not alone.

Yet it doesn’t have to be this way. Many family caregivers are finding help outside the family circle with paid caregivers. The old way is to run a classified ad. The family caregiver bears all the “employer” responsibility for this kind of caregiver such as background checks, payroll withholdings, workers comp, scheduling and a host of other things usually handled by an employer.”

These folks are usually less expensive but there is a lot of risk involved in hiring them.

The new way is to contract with a professional personal care agency. These private agencies provide “in-home, non- medical care.” Services include light housekeeping, meal preparation, laundry, transportation, errands, and personal care.

Personal care agencies may provide care for a few hours to 24-hours a day. Some agencies also provide live-in services. Payment is usually private pay and may be covered by long term care insurance policies.

Before signing with a private duty agency, it is important to ask questions such as how do they screen, hire and supervise their caregivers? What kind of training and professional certifications do they provide? Are they licensed, bonded and insured? Are they available 24/7? How do I know their care providers are on time and doing their job?

This service is typically more expensive than independent caregivers, but the right agency will provide you with a greater peace of mind and better quality of life for you and your loved one.