If you are seeking job satisfaction and personal fulfillment beyond a paycheck, caregiving may be the career for you. Senior Home Care Agencies look for caring individuals who are self-motivated, trustworthy and have both professional and personal character references. Agencies hire individuals with formal training, such as Certified Nursing Aides, as well as individuals who have personal experience from assisting with a relative or friend’s care needs.
Most agencies provide training programs or will connect you with training opportunities through associations or community programs. Remember, every Caregiver had a first day on the job! You may purchase your own Background
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Ask our Home Care Agency Owner any Question you may have about the hiring process, training required or working as a Caregiver for seniors. You may also post comments to questions.
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What Questions will the Senior Home Care Agency Application Ask?
Applications for Employment typically ask for the following information:
- 3 professional references (names, addresses, phone numbers)
- 3 personal references (names, addresses, phone numbers)
- Education (with dates of graduation/completion)
- Specialized Training Completed (seminars, continuing education courses)
- Previous Work History (will need names of Supervisors and phone numbers)
- Volunteer Work
What special testing or information will be required?
- Background Checks are required and may include any or all of the following: Social Security verification, Department of Motor Vehicles record, Worker’s Compensation Information, Credit History and Criminal History. Learn more about Background Checks.
- Drug Test (some agencies test in the field)
- Employment Agreement which may include a non-compete/non-disclosure agreement with the Home Care Agency
- Form I-9: Employment Eligibility Verification
What Employee Benefits are offered?
As a caregiver applicant, you may be eligible for the following benefits upon hire with a Home Care Agency. This list is not guaranteed to be offered by all agencies nor is it all-inclusive. Ask the agency about their specific benefits when you interview (be sure to ask about how long you must be an actively staffed employee in order for a benefit to go into effect, as some benefits such as retirement plans may require 1 year of employment before you can participate).
- Health Insurance (may require co-payments)
- Dental Insurance (may require co-payments)
- Life Insurance and AD&D
- Hospital Indemnity Plan
- Short-Term Disability Insurance
- Retention Bonus
- Company Holiday Pay
- 401K Retirement Plan
- Discounted Entertainment Tickets
- Credit Union Membership
- Mileage Reimbursement
- Referral Bonus for Referring Other Caregiver Applicants and Clients
What Benefits are Required by Law?
All Senior Home Care Agencies, as employers in the United States, must provide contributions to Social Security, Unemployment Insurance and Worker’s Compensation Insurance. This means when you retire you will be able to collect a Social Security benefit check, as both you and your employer have contributed. Unemployment Insurance will allow you to collect an unemployment insurance benefit if you become unemployed due to no fault of your own and Worker’s Compensation Insurance will provide a benefit to you if you suffer an injury while
working. Learn more about Caregiverlist’s Quality Standards for participating Senior Home Care Agencies.
How much money do Caregivers earn?
Caregiver pay varies by regions of the country but will typically pay a couple dollars more than minimum wage (minimum wage varies by state, visit the Department of Labor website for state minimum wages).
Hourly rates typically start between $8.00 and $10.00 per hour.
Daily rates typically start between $90 and $120.00 per day.
Remember that when working for an agency you may qualify for overtime pay if you go over a 40-hour work week for hourly care. You will also qualify for other employee benefits.
What are the minimum hours required to work for a Senior Home Care Agency?
As agencies must be able to staff new clients quickly and be able to meet staffing needs required for sudden changes in medical conditions, they hire both full-time and part-time Caregivers and live-in Caregivers. Agencies will often accommodate unique schedules for high-quality Caregivers. This makes Caregiving an option for individuals who may be going to school part-time or full-time, especially if they are pursuing an education in a related field, such as Social Work or Nursing.
Are you ready to be a Caregiver? Please fill-out our online Job Application to apply for a position in your area.
