When talking about providing care, love, and support to your elderly, you can use more than one alternative for yourself, including –
- Nursing home.
- Homecare organization, and
- Working with a freelance caregiver.
Now, if you’re looking for a cheaper option, then we can keep the “nursing home” out of the equation already. But, what about the other two? Which one’s better amongst them?
Let’s find out.
What Is A Professional Homecare Agency?
It’s just as the name suggests.
A professional homecare organization is a hub of caregivers in Darien, CT. Who’re specialized in providing their service at any occasion.
They’re proficient in almost everything – from medicine management to offering first-aid. So, with them, you won’t have to worry about anything happening to your loved one.
The only issue they have is that they’re unable to access medical-grade equipment unless you have given them something as such. So, if your parents are mortally ill or are suffering from a dangerous ailment, it’s best to avoid this option.
What About A Freelancer, Then?
Well, a freelancer is almost like a caregiver working for a professional home care agency to paint the walls. The only difference is that they’re not connected to any organization. As their name suggests, they are freelancers and, therefore, don’t have any kind of backing from anyone.
The best thing about these people is that they’re readily available for every occasion. Hence, no matter when you’re calling them, they’ll always be available in front of your door. Also, they’re relatively less expensive than the former option. However, their professionalism can be a little bit questionable. And, in some cases, they might end up being frauds as well.
So, that’s another issue.
The Difference?
The difference between a freelancer and a professional agency is quite a lot. Therefore, if you wish to choose the best option between them, knowing about this will be important for you.
Difference – 1: Stability.
A caregiver provided by an organization will solely focus on your parents. They’ll be getting paid by the agency monthly. So, there’s no need to worry about them getting distracted.
However, the same cannot be said in case of a freelancer.
As their title suggests, they’re mostly doing this work to finance their main goal. And, when they get an actual job, they’ll leave your circle. So, they’re not a stable option at all.
Difference – 2: Expense.
Relatively speaking, an organization will be much more expensive than a freelancer. After all, they’ll need to pay the person from the money you’re offering while keeping a little as well on ultradecks.
However, a freelancer will ask for a small amount of cash from you for their service. But, you might have to provide them with the required money on a daily basis.
Difference – 3: Availability.
Remember; a caregiver is a human as well. Hence, like you or someone else, they may fall ill as well. And, it might happen unplanned or out of nowhere.
Thus, in that case, a freelancer will not be able to provide you with any other alternative. So, with them, you’ll be helpless until they’re healthy enough to come.
However, if something as such happens with a homecare agency, they’ll provide you with a new care provider as a whole. There’s no need to call them or anything at all.
Difference – 4: Medical Assistance.
A caregiver coming from an agency-based background will have a sound knowledge about medication and first-aid treatment. Hence, even if your loved one falls ill, they can easily take care of it without making a single mistake. They can also hospitalize them if needed.
On the other hand, a freelancer might or might not have any knowledge regarding the medical industry as a whole. Hence, they won’t be the best possible option when it comes to attending someone who’s extremely ill.
The Bottom Line
Thus, as you can see, hiring someone from a homecare agency is always the best alternative in every case. However, we’ll still ask you to be as careful as possible when hiring someone.
For example, you should always do some background check of the organization before hiring someone from there. Also, don’t forget to look how they’ve fared against previous clientele.
This way, you’ll get a decent idea regarding their efficiency, capability, and, ultimately, if the organization deserves the money they’re asking for.
Good luck!
