Agency Caregivers: Average Hourly Rates

Posted by HelpFindCare on September 10th, 2013

Many elderly people and their adult children these days find in home care services from caregivers a better option than having to stay in assisted living facilities or nursing homes. There are a number of factors influencing this specific preference. Topping the long list would be the fact that the elderly care seeker does not have to leave home. This gives family and friends more peace of mind knowing that they can more readily get in touch with person receiving care. Even though the cost of in home caregivers has increased, it is still more cost effective than nursing homes and assisted living facilities, making it a more practical choice.

The hourly cost involved with hiring a caregiver from an agency varies since costs are based on several controlling factors. When you hire a caregiver, the needs of the care seeker should be the primary consideration. Another important factor to consider is the number of hours that the patient may require assistance, since overtime rates or minimum hour charges may apply. Additionally the skill set required, experience, and certifications of the caregiver will also contribute to the rates you may have to pay for the caregiver for the elderly. Geographical location is another factor as rates vary from one city to another, and one region to the next.

According to the Genworth 2013 Cost of Care Survey, the national average hourly wage for home caregivers is at $9.11 per hour. However the costs are higher when going through an agency due in large part to their overhead. For example an agency may charge $19.50 per hour for an entry-level caregiver. This cost may include salary, healthcare, uniforms and other employee related expenses such as training expense reimbursement. Costs for more experienced caregivers should increase based on skill set, certifications and years of experience. These are the costs you can expect to find as you conduct your caregiver search . Most caregivers these days are working for an agency, as it has been traditionally the only avenue for them to find care seekers or to get continuous work.

Families requiring home caregivers may have the expectation that the quality of service from the caregivers supplied through agencies is expected to be higher, since most agencies have minimum standards and implement rules and regulations for their caregivers. While this might be the expectation, due to the low wages paid to caregivers at most agencies, they usually experience as much as a 20% turnover rate of caregivers in any given month. According to a 2012 Benchmark Study published by Home Care Pulse and sponsored by the National Private Duty Association, average caregiver turnover rate for all home care companies increased from 46.2% to 49.8% between 2010 and 2011, and has increased yet again to 52.9% in 2012. This high turnover rate is not conducive to creating a stable care environment in the home, and companies like Help Find Care are trying to rectify this with offering higher salaries while reducing the costs paid by care seekers. In addition, when a care seeker has more say in the screening and hiring of a caregiver, there is a dramatically reduced incidence of caregiver turnover.

HelpFindCare.com gives caregivers and those who need care the tools to manage their in home care online. Caregivers, registered nurses, certified nurse assistants, and geriatric care managers can use the website to search for caregiving jobs, set their wages, post their weekly availability, receive weekly payment, and build their resume and portfolio with real experience. Care seekers, or family members looking for someone to give care for their parents or loved ones, can use the website to search for qualified nurses, CNAs and caregivers, post jobs that outline their specific care needs, monitor their caregivers’ schedules and payment online and receive personal support from the Help Find Care team. Join for free today at HelpFindCare.com.