A Familiar Face-
Every Time
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YES. When you hire a Town & Country Caregiver, that person is YOUR employee, you are in control, and you and your family will have the same Caregiver helping you every day. Your Caregiver will become thoroughly familiar with your needs, and the care recipient and caregiver will be able to develop a strong relationship. This is a true long term solution. |
NO. This is a short term solution with many different candidates, schedules and hassle.
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Caregiver Turnover
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NO. All of our candidates are here to make a long term commitment to their clients. Whether you need a Caregiver for a few hours a week, or on a full-time basis, if you hire through us, you will get the same Caregiver every time, and they will be committed to your schedule and needs.
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YES. Caregiver turnover can be distressing and confusing to the care recipient. Many online and home care agencies send you different Caregivers for each shift and cannot guarantee a solid commitment from any of them. The care recipient may rarely know who to expect to show up.
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Disconnect Between Families and Caregivers
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NO. Because you are the employer, you are directly paying and managing your Caregiver. This reduces the chances of miscommunications and resentments over any disparity between what you are paying and what the Caregiver is earning.
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VARIES. Agency Caregivers know the disparity between what the family pays the agency, and what they earn. Just as important, managing your Caregiver requires that you deal directly with the agency. This increases the chance of miscommunication and resentment over pay, both of which can have a negative affect on your relationship with the Caregiver. |
Experienced Caregivers
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YES. All of our Caregivers have at least 3-5 years of professional, in-home experience as a Caregiver.
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VARIES. Many online and home care agencies only require that their Caregivers have a few months of experience in their field. In many cases, caregivers new to the field are using the online and home care agencies to get experience before moving on to better positions. |
Background Checks
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YES. Every one of our candidates has been pre-screened and extensively interviewed in person in our offices. We run thorough best-in-industry background checks, and we personally speak with each of a candidate’s employment references. We provide you with all the results, in writing, for your review before you make a decision. |
VARIES. Background checking is not required, and most online and home care agencies do the bare minimum of background screening and rarely meet their candidates face to face. Clients are generally not given background check results, and then only on request.
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Range of Choices
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YES. Since you are the employer of your Caregiver, we offer a wide range of experienced, professional Caregivers for you to chose from. You have the option to interview and trial Caregivers to ensure that they are a perfect match for you and your household.
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NO. Most online and home care agencies do not offer you a choice in your Caregiver. Since there is a lot of turnover, you are usually given someone you have never met, and whom the agency has assigned to your job.
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Backup Coverage
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YES. We offer great candidates for backup, last minute or temporary coverage, whether you hired through us or not. All of our candidates are pre-screened, experienced and professionals in their field. |
VARIES. Most agencies offer backup and temporary coverage.
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Hourly and Annual Rates
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When you hire through us, your Caregiver is your employee, and you and the Caregiver set the wages. Our best Caregivers are typically seeking $18-20 per hour, or $200-250 for a 24-hour shift (including an overnight). Our one-time placement fee is set at 15% of the Caregiver’s annualized pay. |
Online and home care agencies typically charge on an hourly basis, with additional fees for various items. Hourly rates in the Bay Area are typically about $25 per hour and up, or $200-$350 for 24-hour shifts.
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Insured and Bonded
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NO. We do not insure or bond our Caregivers. When you hire through us, you become the employer. This can seem overwhelming, but generally full coverage is available (or already provided) through your Homeowners or Umbrella Liability insurance policies – and at a lower total cost than can be obtained by online or home care agencies. Contact us and we can give you more information on these terms. |
YES. Most online and home care agencies bond and insure their Caregivers. These agencies are considered the employer.
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Payroll Management
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NO. We do not offer this service through our company, but we outsource this to our partner, Breedlove and Associates, Inc. Contact us for more information on payroll management. |
YES. This is usually handled by the online or home care agency.
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Local, Bay Area Business
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YES. Town & Country has been serving the Bay Area as the leading household staffing agency for over 25 years. We have strong relationships with our clients, and nearly 80% of our business is repeat or referrals from past clients. We serve the entire Bay Area from our offices in Palo Alto and San Francisco. |
NO. Many online or other home care agencies are nationally based and are not familiar and do not have any personal ties to the Bay Area.
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