Is Care.com legit, or worse than Craigs??

[Tim C.]

Anybody have nice things to say about Care.com??
Are the ads real or BS bullshit made up people that don't exist?
Is it full of rats and thiefs or scholars and heros?

[wheelman21]

I've used it, but I didn't do the contacting. I put my ad on there and waited for someone to reply. They give a a little info in their profiles, like how often they respond to messages and they have confirmed an email address. So I would look at that. Give it a shot and just meet people in a public place. You could always ask them more questions online once you make contact. Hope that helps some.

[SCIfor55+yrs.]

I have used them with great success. I have started interviews with a message and then a phone call. I felt comfortable following up with an in home interview with me and my wife. One of my current PCAs was hired using them. I think the response number depends on where you are located. Small communities/cities will yield fewer contacts. I ask all my interviewees how they found out about care.com. They were referred by friends who used it, and by recommendations from the university student services offices in the area, etc. This is not like craigslist. It is a good professional service base on my experience over the past 3 years.

[Tim C.]

Nooooo SCI v. Carelinx.com Care.com

I've used it, but I didn't do the contacting. I put my ad on there and waited for someone to reply. They give a a little info in their profiles, like how often they respond to messages and they have confirmed an email address. So I would look at that. Give it a shot and just meet people in a public place. You could always ask them more questions online once you make contact. Hope that helps some.

Hello guys FYI,
Are not most SCI with neurogenic bowels???
Well, according to Carelinx.com performing bowel programs are a medical procedure for which they are not insured for. Sorry, i cannot help you.
Wiping asses and noses Ok, but don't stick your finger in!!
Back to Craplist.com

[lance30276]

I've found several great caregivers on care.com...... i've used it for the past 5-6 years

[SCIfor55+yrs.]

Hello guys FYI,
Are not most SCI with neurogenic bowels???
Well, according to Carelinx.com performing bowel programs are a medical procedure for which they are not insured for. Sorry, i cannot help you.
Wiping asses and noses Ok, but don't stick your finger in!!
Back to Craplist.com

In most places if you employ PCAs directly they are able to bowel programs. They are not bound by agency policies. Around here most SCIs train their own or have a family member or someone else experienced train them. I have 3 part timers so when one leaves, the other two train the new hire if s/he is not experienced.

[wheelman21]

That's probably if you go through them. They have their own payment system on their website. I have a pca agency I go through, I'm just responsible for finding my own PCAs. So I found someone on Care and then she went and got her background check and paper work done at the agency I'm with.

[Tim C.]

Why would agencies not garner the insurance and rather exclude bowel program cases? How many sci plus does that exclude, maybe a million or so?

[SCIfor55+yrs.]

Why would agencies not garner the insurance and rather exclude bowel program cases? How many sci plus does that exclude, maybe a million or so?

It is a complicated issue that has roots outside the agencies. The rules are spelled out in state legislation under the titles of nurse practice and medical practice acts. They spell out which health careworkers are qualified to do what. It is a turf protection thing. Most spell out that homecare agencies follow rules much like workers in hospitals and nursing homes. Thus, if the worker is paid by the agency and in turn you pay the agency for your services they must follow the rules. However, people you hire and pay directly are not considered institutional employees and are exempted from the legislated rules. They are exempted largely because of Medicare policies regarding homecare. They will only pay for short periods of homecare. When a longterm need exists they will only pay until you or a caretaker can be trained to render the care. This is the essence of the problems we face. There are other complexities that vary by states.

[Tim C.]

Yeah, i get the direct employer bullshit.

It is a complicated issue that has roots outside the agencies. The rules are spelled out in state legislation under the titles of nurse practice and medical practice acts. They spell out which health careworkers are qualified to do what. It is a turf protection thing. Most spell out that homecare agencies follow rules much like workers in hospitals and nursing homes. Thus, if the worker is paid by the agency and in turn you pay the agency for your services they must follow the rules. However, people you hire and pay directly are not considered institutional employees and are exempted from the legislated rules. They are exempted largely because of Medicare policies regarding homecare. They will only pay for short periods of homecare. When a longterm need exists they will only pay until you or a caretaker can be trained to render the care. This is the essence of the problems we face. There are other complexities that vary by states.

When we use care.com or carelinx etc, we pay just a fee, they do NOT REMAIN EMPLOYERS. We take over, caregivers are EMPLOYEES AT WILL , they do as we will them to, if not, then they don't and the arrangement ceases to exist. There is no on-.going liability with these websites. It's that simple, since many CG are illegally here, they want to fly under the radar, and as such, they should be flexible enough to do what patient needs, not what some nit wit lawmaker says they can do. It would be a win win for all. Government should stay the ef out. No???

[forestranger52]

In PA, caregivers are no longer allowed to do bowel programs and it makes life very difficult because scheduling nurses can really only be done in the mornings. I used to have caregivers do the BP when I got into bed at 9 pm and it worked great as I was sitting up all day, eating, drinking and moving around. Have terrible results in the mornings since we had to change last September.

[SCI-Nurse]

In most states, the way this is regulated for hospitals and home health agencies is that there are restrictions placed on what an RN (professional nurse) can delegate to the UAP (unlicensed assistive personnel such as aides and techs). This comes partially from the professional RNs wanting to protect their market, and also from their obligation to protect the public in the area of nursing practice.

For many states, this includes precluding UAPs being delegated activities that are complex, require on-going patient assessment and evaluation, include medication administration, and those that "invade an internal body organ or space". In most of those states, this has been interpreted to prevent RNs delegating to UAPs activities such as catheterization, suctioning, enemas, suppository administration, digital stimulation, tube feedings, IV therapy, etc. etc.

Sites such as Carelinx and Care.com see themselves as employment agencies, similar to a HHA, and have RNs on their staff. They therefore interpret this that if you hire someone from them to do activities precluded from UAPs by state law or regulation that this is illegal delegation of those tasks to the UAP.

This is of course a total fabrication when someone is hiring a person to be a PCA. In some states (such as CA) PCAs are not legally UAPs, nor do they require that their work be determined by or delegated by an RN. They view the PCA as a "extension" of the person with the disability (employer) and allow PCAs to do anything for that person that the person would do for themselves if able. This is consistent with the Independent Living vs. Medical Model of disability.

This is one example of why it may be better to avoid these on-line CNA/HHA "agencies" and instead hire through sites such as Craig's List or the local Penny Saver. Regardless of where you find your PCAs, you need to do due diligence and perform background checks, check references, and take other measures to protect yourself from being ripped off (or worse) by having this person work for you in your own home.

(KLD)

[Tim C.]

Stranger bp Ranger?

In PA, caregivers are no longer allowed to do bowel programs and it makes life very difficult because scheduling nurses can really only be done in the mornings. I used to have caregivers do the BP when I got into bed at 9 pm and it worked great as I was sitting up all day, eating, drinking and moving around. Have terrible results in the mornings since we had to change last September.

S.Ranger, who is paying these caregivers you speak of?

[Broken Doll]

Any recommendations for a background check agency in California?

[cass]

i just tried them. they ignore adults with disabilities. am having ongoing e dialogue with them now, apparently i don't fit in their "vertical" categories of 1. senior care, 2. pet care, 3. babysitting.