Fact: Caregiving is one of the most underrepresented, underpaid and under-respected professions out there. If you’re in search of a caregiver to help look after a senior loved one, it helps to start with the mindset that caregiving is a career that requires a multitude of skills, training and talents — all of which should be acknowledged with a benefits and pay package.
In order for you to attract the most suitable candidate, here are seven benefits to consider offering a caregiver.
1. Clearly-outlined duties, hours and pay
Although not necessarily a benefit itself, setting up a specific, detailed contract prior to hiring is critical for establishing a firm, solid relationship with a caregiver, explains Stuart Schoenfeld, an attorney specializing in elder care.
More than anything, he notes, a contract sets forth expectations, including the number of hours the caregiver should work per week, how much they’ll get paid and any tax withholdings.
Plus, he says, a contract can also help to more strongly define the scope of services (i.e. what duties the caregiver can expect to complete on a daily basis). “For example, will the caregiver be expected to cook, shop, or drive and accompany an elderly person to and from their medical appointments?” Schoenfeld says. “The clearer the agreement is, the better.”
Schoenfeld notes that, as an elder care attorney, miscommunication in this initial hiring step typically causes the most serious rifts. He explains that, oftentimes, the person hiring the caregiver and the caregiver themselves will have different expectations as to what the job duties entail — and this can be especially true for caregivers close to the senior person.
When in doubt drafting an agreement, says Schoenfeld? Get another party involved. “Most eldercare attorneys have experience reviewing these types of [documents],” he says. “At very least, they should be able to address any issues relating to the care required by the elder individual. It may be a good idea to have an employment attorney review the contract, too.”
Another contract consideration, according to Schoenfeld: Will there be backup if the caregiver has to call in sick? If there’s any way to plan ahead (and dodge potential scheduling issues), do it, he advises.
But what if the caregiver you’re hoping to bring on is within the family? “It may be impractical to have a signed contract [in that situation],” Schoenfeld says. Still, though, he says it’s critical to keep discussion open among all parties involved in lieu of a formal contract — family members, caregiver(s) — and expectations clearly defined.
2. Paid vacation
Schoenfeld says caregivers need to be offered the same types of benefits they’d receive at any other job, which includes paid vacation time.
According to the NAC report, younger caregivers between the ages of 18 and 49 tend to work hourly positions, while older caregivers are salaried. The report notes that this tends to lead to more financial strain for the hourly workers, as they feel pressured to not take time off (as they’ll lose money). Offering salaried positions could potentially help curb this, as the report notes.
3. Paid family leave and sick days
Over half of professional caregivers say that their current employer offers paid sick days, too, while roughly 40% say their employer offers paid family leave, the NAC report says. And while that’s an uptick from five years prior (in 2015, 32% of caregivers said their employer offered paid family leave), if you want to attract top talent, it helps to be competitive.
The type of leave you can offer an employee depends on a number of factors (like the number of employees you have, for one). Check out the types of paid and family leave common to offer employees here.
Another major consideration? Paid holidays. Amy Cameron O’Rourke, senior care manager and author of “The Fragile Years,” notes that most professional caregivers are mothers (often single ones), so having a work schedule that’s able to align with common school holidays is a must. “When my child is out of school, I have to choose between taking care of my child or going to work,” she adds. FYI: There are 12 official federal holidays in the 2021 calendar year.
4. Health insurance and wellness perks
Caring for an elder person is a time-consuming job, but it’s a physically-taxing one, too. 23% of caregivers report that their job has made their health worse, according to the NAC report. Between hauling groceries and supplies, carrying medical equipment up and down flights of stairs, cleaning and cooking and a host of other side tasks, there’s a solid chance a person’s health could suffer on the job — which makes a comprehensive health plan through employment a serious consideration. Employers can use the federal exchange to find a health plan if they wish to cover the full cost of health insurance.
“In order to attract and retain caregivers, it is important to offer a variety of benefits.”
— KELLEY REESE, QUALITY SUPPORT MANAGER FOR HOMEWATCH CAREGIVERS, LLC
It’s something that Kelley Reese, a quality support manager at Homewatch CareGivers, LLC, knows well. She’s in charge of recruiting (and retaining) senior caregivers for the company, and benefits related to health and wellness are some of the most commonly asked for. “In order to attract and retain caregivers, it is important to offer a variety of benefits,” she explains, noting that some of the most desired benefits are medical insurance, dental and vision insurance and wellness incentives.
As for wellness incentives, that can range in definition. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, some 85% of U.S. employers offered a “wellness program” in their benefits package in 2019, which can include health screenings and tests and gym memberships and discounts or bonuses.
But what if offering health insurance isn’t an option? You can opt to reimburse a caregiver directly for the cost of their health insurance premiums. That being said, though, you can’t reimburse premiums on federal exchange plans without extra fees tacked on (per the Affordable Care Act), so caregivers would need to seek out private care.
Your first step: Find out where your company stands. Those businesses with less than 50 employees, and that don’t offer a group health plan, can typically reimburse premiums through a Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement, or QSEHRA. For 2021, employers can pay a maximum of $5,300 annually or $10,700 for a family health plan, both tax-free. Employees will just need to provide proof of their healthcare costs, to which you’ll be able to provide a monthly allowance (reported via an employee’s W-2) to cover it.
4. Reimbursements
For Joe Pecora Jr., vice president of the Home Health Workers of America, a union representing 32,000 home health care aides, reimbursements are a crucial component to a caregiver employee contract. That’s because the majority of caregivers use their own items to care, from their cell phone to personal vehicle to public transit card.
“Smartphones are vital for [caregivers],” he explains, noting that most use their phones to stay in contact with their employer, doctors, and other aids providing care for a senior person throughout the day. All that said, Pecora says, reimbursing a caregiver for those fees is pretty much non-negotiable.
Same goes for travel. He notes that most Home Health Workers of America union members have to travel particularly far to care, or travel to doctors or hospitals that are far.
5. Retirement savings
Another most-requested benefit that Reese sees often when recruiting caregivers? Assistance with planning for the future. As for what type of plan to offer, that depends largely on how much you’re willing to contribute to a caregiver’s retirement pot. Check out the official IRS retirement plan descriptions here.
6. The opportunity to earn a bonus and a pay increase
While O’Rourke definitely looks to time off, health plans and other traditional benefits in her employment opportunities, ultimately, money talks. And when it comes to pay increases and bonuses, they’re usually overdue. Despite being so important to seniors’ well-being, they remain “very low-paid,” she notes.
7. Additional training and education
Caregiving is a highly skilled position that requires adequate pay and benefits. In that same vein, though, not just anyone can jump headfirst into a caregiving career — which makes training and certifications super-important.
Your first step in determining which types of training to offer? Understanding what kind of care the senior might need. For example, will the caregiver be providing care for a patient with a specific condition? Getting certified through the Relias Academy, which offers certifications for dementia care and Parkinson’s, each starting at $15 each, might be a good idea.
Alternatively, if a caregiver will be providing basic care for an older adult, having some general health certifications on-hand to offer a potential employee (CPR, first aid, Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is ideal.
Check out what other types of training and certifications to offer a caregiver here.
Ultimately, offering these incentives could not only help move the process along but lead you to a fitting, reliable and qualified candidate.
