Caregivers Article


Hiring Help in the Home

Assess your needs

Do you simply need help with such daily activities as bathing, dressing and preparing meals? Or do you need medical or skilled nursing care as well? What resources do you have available to pay for such assistance?

Ask a lot of questions

Does the agency screen and train caregivers? Do caregivers undergo a criminal background check? (A certified home health aide, for example, must pass such scrutiny and cannot have certain convictions.) Does the agency handle all of the taxes and insurance? Are the agency and worker both bonded? Will Medicare, ALTCS or your private insurance cover any of the costs?

Find out your responsibilities

What taxes will you be required to pay if you hire the worker on your own?

Seek referrals from a trustworthy source

Avoid using a "help wanted" ad to hire a caregiver. You do not know the background—or motives—of those who respond. Be wary of ads seeking employment for an individual caregiver for the same reason. For lists of home care agencies and home health care agencies, contact your local Area Agency on Aging.

Consider taking some additional precautions if you do hire someone. It might be wise, for example, to move your valuables to another location for safekeeping—or at least lock them up. Unfortunately, seniors have lost many precious belongings to dishonest caregivers.


Comments:

QUESTIONS

  • Power of attorney form
  • My late husband suffered from Alzheimer's Disease when he borrowed money and signed documents that deeded his home to another person. That person refuses to return title of the home to my late husband's estate even though the loan was paid off in full. What are my rights?
  • I am in probate I hga ve a title that is in my maiden name and my deceased mother had a lien on it with the department of dmv probate said I had to get legal advice how to lift this lien off this title because she has to no the lien amount because its taxable but dmv said they don't require a amont on lien can someone help me please what do I need to do
  • I am the single mother of a severly multiply disabled child. Before moving to Phoenix last year I lost conservatorship of my son's estate. It is very difficult to get things paid for through the court-appointed fiduiary and I don't plan on moving back to detroit. What steps do I need to take to regain the conservatorship?
  • Is it legal for a caregiver to take funds from their patients and can you give case precedents? Also does this apply to power of attorney too?
  • My Mom is disabled, she should be doing physical therapy but she refuses to help herself and wont let us help her, she ignores her health completely and sits around all day drinking and taking her prescription pills and is in and out of the hospital, she's becoming a danger to herself and refuses to see it. what are the laws to putting her into a rehab or nursing home.
  • If a single adult is injured and unable to make any decisions, will the court appoint a family member to become their guardian? If so, how is this done?
  • Can a person file a order of protection on a live in caregiver and we believe they did this to put the lady I care for in a nursing she is so stressed out over this its causing alot of problems witb her health what can we do to stop this
  • My father in law, who lives in Mesa, has asked me to be his power of attorney. I live in Oregon. Can I use Arizona's form to do this, and will it be valid even though I don't live in the same state?
  • Where can I get AZ State Certification as a Caregiver?

STORIES

LegalLEARN

FIND LEGAL HELP

  • Please select your county of residence below.

    County:
     

OTHER LEGAL RESOURCES

  • State Bar of Arizona
    www.azbar.org
  • Maricopa County Bar
    www.maricopabar.org
    Referral number 602-257-4434
  • Pima County Bar
    www.pimacountybar.org
    Referral number 520-623-4625
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline
    800-799-7233
  • Bankruptcy Court Self Help Center
    866-553-0893
  • Certified Legal Document Preparer Program
    Link

ORGANIZATIONS

RELATED ARTICLES

Care Alternatives

Losing a Spouse or Parent

Compassion Fatigue

Home Care Providers Required to Provide Information

LINKS

Arizona Office of the Attorney General

Arizona Department of Economic Security

Social Security Administration

Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS)

Area Agency on Aging

See More...