01 Aug What Home Care Agencies Pay Their Employees Weekly?
Interested in working for a home care agency that offers weekly pay to employees? Look no further than our guide to home care agencies offering weekly pay to caregivers and home health aides in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Plus, get insight on what other ways home care agencies set themselves apart, including with sign on bonuses and with high pay.
Many caregivers and home health aides prioritize home care agencies that offer pay on a weekly basis. That is because no one wants to wait two weeks or more to get their paycheck. Even worse, some home care agencies are inconsistent in how often they offer paychecks to their employees. Some face delays in compensating their caregiving employees. We have seen reports around Philadelphia of caregivers waiting over 4 weeks to get their paychecks.
The best home care agencies understand that this is not acceptable. Plus, they understand that their employees are essential workers and that their jobs are hard. It is crucial to treat staff members as family. They should also value their hard work and contributions to both their clients and to the company as a whole.
What are the employee benefits of weekly payroll?
Talk to just about any hourly worker and they’ll tell you they’re in favor of weekly payroll. This is for good reason! There are a number of ways caregiver employees benefit from a weekly payroll structure in home care agencies, including:
- Frequent paychecks for employees. Having a biweekly or monthly payroll schedule can put a financial strain on employees, including caregivers and home health aides. Getting paid cash-in-hand only once or twice a month can be challenging. With weekly paychecks, caregiving employees get a payday every week. This means that they have the cash-in-hand they need, when they need it. Some home care companies don’t pay their employees regularly or face delayed paychecks. This is in violation of the Department of Labor and Industry in the state of Pennsylvania.
- Consistency. Not only does the frequency of weekly payroll help caregiving employees, but so does the consistency too. Receiving a weekly paycheck ensures that caregiving employees can pay their bills regularly as they come in. It makes it easier to budget less frequent and consistent payroll options (like monthly or bi-weekly).
- Each paycheck received reflects an employee’s work week, including overtime. The hours an hourly caregiver employee works at a home care agency may vary week to week. As a result, the amount they get paid can vary each week. When a caregiver employee works overtime, they want compensation for that extra time worked quickly. With a weekly paycheck schedule, employees get paid in a timely fashion for the time they put into caregiving. This is better than having to wait for future pay dates to collect their overtime pay.
What caregiver and home health aide benefits should I be evaluating besides weekly paycheck schedules?
Weekly paychecks for caregivers is nice, but there is so much more than home health aides should be looking at. There are a number of ways caregivers and HHAs can make their professional and personal lives better with a great home health agency. Prioritize any home healthcare agencies that offer the following:
Great pay
You may have found the best job in the world but if you can’t make ends meet then it’s tough. As a result, be sure to focus your career search on the home care agencies that have the best pay in the industry. As you can see here, average caregiver and home health aide pay is $12.15 an hour. However, top paying agencies can offer much more than this. For example our guide to the top paying home health companies shows that the best in Philadelphia offer an average rate of $15 per hour, such as Chosen Family Home Care.
Sign on bonuses for new caregivers
Increasingly, home care and home health companies are offering a bonus or financial incentive for new employees. This is due to the lack of qualified caregivers in the greater Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area and the high demand for home health aides that exists.
Keep in mind, many home care agencies say they offer a signing bonus. However, many of those aren’t actually sign on bonuses. Some might offer half the bonus up front and other half down the road. Others might only offer this bonus after a period of time, say 90. Plus, other home care agencies may offer this bonus but have a clause that you need to work for the company for a specified period of time. If you don’t you will risk having to pay it back. Luckily, Chosen Family Home Care pays this up front and there are no stipulations.
Ongoing employee training and development
Home healthcare agencies that offer continued employee development and other opportunities to continue learning make the best companies. An employer’s training program will speak volumes about an organization. This is because the companies that invest in their employees in this way show they they are both committed to their success as well as that of their clients.
A healthy caregiver work/life balance
Some home healthcare agencies don’t make an effort to consider the caregiver’s own wants and needs as a person and employee. This means that you should find a home care agency that offers the time for employees to rest and recharge. Caregivers can step up when they need to with varying schedules and demands but they also need a break too.
Paid holiday and time off of work
Employees that care for others and home health aides deserve to be able to take time off. When you inquire at a home care agency or home healthcare company, it’s important to consider those with paid time off as a benefit. Chosen Family Home Care offers up to 40 hours of paid time off for it’s caregivers starting on day one! This is a great perk for the best home care agencies in Philadelphia to offer.
Medical insurance coverage
Medical and healthcare insurance is a necessity for many caregivers and home health aides. However, some employees forget to take this into consideration when evaluating home care agencies and their benefits provided. For those that need it, be sure to ask your home healthcare employer the following questions:
- What are the insurance plans available and what do they cover?
- When am I eligible to receive medical insurance benefits?
- How much will i have to pay for each available plan per month?
These are all very important questions that potential caregivers and home health aides should be asking. To begin, some home care agencies don’t offer any medical insurance at all. For those that do, the plans available, costs associated, and eligibility period can vary wildly. At Chosen Family Home Care, healthcare insurance is available to its full-time caregivers and employees starting after just 30 days. The best part is, our caregivers working 30 hours or more can pick a healthplan that costs as little as $0! That means the company contributes up to 100 percent of the health plan premium.
Authorized overtime pay
If you are working as a caregiver, consider home care agencies that authorize and pay overtime to their staff. Some home care agencies do not authorize or allow overtime. This is because employees make a higher hourly pay rate when they work more than 40 hours a week. This pay rate is 50 percent higher than their normal rate. This is set by the US Department of Labor and reinforced by the state of Pennsylvania. For example, if someone earns $10 an hour, after 40 hours worked in the same week, an employee is entitled to $15 an hour for hours worked in excess of 40.
Worse still, some home health agencies allow employees to work more than 40 hours per week but do not compensate them at the higher rate. This practice is not only unethical, it is also illegal. Make sure that home care agencies you consider working with will allow you to work overtime hours as is needed for your clients. Also, make sure that they are paying you the correct overtime caregiver pay amount which is 50 percent higher than your regular pay rate.
Opportunities for professional growth for staff
On occasion, home health aides end up leaving their roles as caregivers quite quickly. The employee turnover at different home healthcare agencies can vary widely. One of the main reasons? Lack of supervision and direct support for the caregivers on staff. Chosen Family Home Care provides regular supervision as well as a career path for those interested in furthering their healthcare careers. This is important because when caregivers feel supported, they are more likely to be happier and effective in their position.
One of our biggest benefits is the chance for home health aides and caregivers to get free certified nurse aide training! If you work with us at least 800 hours and 6 months of service as well as other critieria (call for details), you may qualify.
No other agency in Philadelphia offers free Certified Nurse Aide CNA training to eligible caregivers. As one of the biggest company perks available, this benefit is hugely valuable. The program, taught by CareBridge Academy CNA school, offers the chance to get $1745 training for free. Chosen Family Home Care offers this benefit because we want our caregivers interested in a career in healthcare to take the steps to be successful.
For home health aides and caregivers that have the tools to be successful, not only is the role more rewarding, but clients are happier too. As a result, the patient receiving care is likely to have better health outcomes. By getting regular employer support, a professional caregiver can have peace of mind in knowing that they have help in dealing with a variety of client situations that might come up.
Flexible staff schedules
Caregivers may be able to work a variety of schedules. With all the commitments one may have, it’s important for home healthcare agencies to be flexible with their caregivers and HHAs. While this can be difficult for employers that are balancing an ever changing group of clients and schedules, it is important for employees. It demonstrates commitment to the employee as well to work with caregivers as much as possible and within reason.
Less commuting, more caring
The best home healthcare agencies will make every effort to help match their caregivers to nearby clients. This can reduce the need for long commutes and make client care more accessible.
Caregiver matching
Strong home care agencies will work to match their caregivers and clients as well. These features might be based on culture, personality, or other needs of the client and experience of the home health aide. While it’s not an exact science, home healthcare agencies that make this effort help not just the caregiver but the client as well. A well matched client and caregiver can make everyone happier and it makes the client relationship more likely to be a success. Plus, the patient care outcomes can improve as a result.
Additional caregiver perks and benefits
Finally, think of other perks or benefits that a home care agency may be able to offer. These could vary from having a retirement plan available, a free occasional lunch, employee discounts, or life insurance. Also, do not discount the culture of a workplace as a happy and positive environment can make all the difference. Chosen Family Home Care provides many of these features we mentioned, as prides itself on its company culture that is inclusive, supportive, and fun.
Which home care agency offers its caregiver employees weekly pay?
Chosen Family Home Care is one of the only home care agencies offering weekly pay in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With a presence in Bucks county, Chester county, Delaware county, Montgomery county, and Philadelphia, Chosen Family Home Care has the ability to benefit caregivers throughout the greater Philadelphia, Pennsylvania region.
Are you in need of a home care agency or caregiving support but don’t know where to begin youfr search? Alternatively, maybe you’re overwhelmed or confused by the home care agencies out there and need some direction. We will help you find a list of home care agencies in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and caregivers with our search tools and provider search options below.
There are hundreds of home care agencies that provide home care assistance to seniors and disabled adults across greater Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This guide helps you locate the list of home care agencies that exist across the Philly region.
What kind of services do these home care agencies provide?
All of these home care agencies provide caregiving support and personal care services. Others may offer skilled home care services (in the form of nurses and/or therapists) in addition to non-medical home care services provided by caregivers and home health aides. For example, Chosen Family Home Care and other home care agencies in Philadelphia offer a variety of caregiving support services, including:
- Friendly Senior Companionship & Conversation
- Bathing, Dressing & Grooming Assistance
- Light Housekeeping, Transportation & Errands
- Meal Prep and Meal Planning for the Elderly
- Medication Reminders & Glucose Monitoring
- Senior Toileting & Incontinence Care
- Ambulation Support & Transfer Assistance
- Exercise and Activity Promotion
What types of workers offer caregiver services?
For many seniors, individuals will have caregivers whose main responsibilities are to provide personal care, companionship, and other areas of supportive home care. Some senior home care agency caregivers provided enhanced but limited medical services. This includes home health aides.
Home health aides can help with some medical tasks like performing vital signs and assisting with rehabilitative exercises. A certified nurse aide, or CNA, will have comparable functions. As a general rule, the more advanced a caregiver’s background and capabilities, the more expensive the senior home care provided will be. Examples of caregiving workers include:
- Homemakers
- Caregivers
- Personal care aides
- Home health aides
- Certified nurse aides
How much does home care support cost?
Home care for a loved one can be a major expense for families of seniors and disabled adults. We detail the cost of home care in our associated guide, How Much Does Home Care Cost in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania? Plus, we help families find ways to maximize the value of home care and keep costs low. At Chosen Family Home Care, we work to help you get the most out of your caregiver support services on any budget.
What about finding a home care agency for family caregivers in Pennsylvania?
Some programs, including that of Community Health Choices Medicaid waiver as well as the Veterans Affairs caregiver assistance program allow family caregivers to be hired and paid to care for loved ones. For these caregivers the choice is clear. Only Chosen Family Home Care has the top paying home care agency in Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania guarantee.
Chosen Family Home Care offers:
- $15 per hour on average (terms apply, call for details)
- Weekly pay
- Healthcare coverage (75 – 100 percent of individual paid by company!)
- Opportunity for free CNA training! Up to $1745 value
- Many other benefits including paid time off, vacation pay, 401k retirement plan, and others
Do I need to find a home care agency near my home or that of a senior loved one?
Generally no. Because of the remote nature of providing home care, home care agencies may often offer services throughout multiple counties. Many home care agencies that provide home health aides and caregivers around Philadelphia, PA will serve the five county Pennsylvania region: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties.
For example, Chosen Family Home Care is based in central Philadelphia but services all of the 5 Philadelphia-area counties. They are geographically very central to offer easy senior home care assistance across the Philadelphia region. Plus, they are on the list of home health companies in Pennsylvania that can and do provide caregiver services statewide. They also offer home care services in Reading, PA, home care services in Allentown, PA, plus Harrisburg and Lancaster.
That being said, you should still confirm with the home care agency that you are considering working with that they have a strong presence of caregivers and home health aides in the region you are based in. This makes it easier to obtain caregiver coverage for a senior or disabled loved one, including for scheduling. Also, in urgent cases, like when a caregiver is sick and cannot report to work, having a presence of caregivers in the region can help make getting emergency or backup caregiver coverage much easier.
Find a list of home care agency providers near me
There are a variety of ways that one could find a list of local home care agencies. We will go through different search options you may encounter online. Pros and cons of each search tool may also be mentioned.
Other articles you may be interested in:
- Get Paid to Care For A Loved One in Pennsylvania: A Guide
- Top Paying Home Care Agencies in Philadelphia: A Guide
- Private duty home care in Philadelphia, PA: A guide
- Long Term Care Insurance in Pennsylvania for Home Care: A Guide
How do you choose a home care agency from a list?
Finding the right home care agency might not be as easy as you think. A quality home care agency, such as Chosen Family Home Care, will work with seniors and family loved ones to assess the needs of both the client and the family.
Through a formal assessment or evaluation, a home care assistance provider can appropriately match a caregiver based on both experience and personality. Generally, the caregiver will be assigned after an initial meeting. The goals are for hired caregivers to help satisfy the medical, emotional, and support needs of the disabled or senior client. Many hired caregivers and home health aides have experience and training to be suited in their roles.
What areas of Philadelphia have home care agencies?
You can find home care agencies across many Philadelphia neighborhoods
- Home care agencies in fishtown
- Home care agencies in northeast Philadelphia
- Home care agencies in south Philadelphia
- Home care agencies in west Philadelphia
- Home care agencies in center city Philadelphia
- Home care agencies in Allegheny
- Home care agencies in Nicetown-Tioga
- Home care agencies in Kensington
- Home care agencies in Port Richmond
- Home care agencies in Germantown
- Home care agencies in Mount Airy
- Home care agencies in Roxborough and Manayunk
- Home care agencies in Olney and Oak Lane
Things to look for when hiring a home care agency
There are so many things to consider when hiring a caregiver through a home care agency. However, at least make sure that some of the basics of the home care agency are taken care of.
At a minimum, make sure that the senior care provider:
- Is Licensed, Bonded, & Insured
- Has a certification to run a home care agency in the state of PA
- That they provide thorough training and support for their caregivers
- Performs background checks on all home health aides and support staff
- Provides care management and adequate supervision of caregivers
- Works to screen caregivers for compatibility with families and senior loved ones
Check to see if you qualify for $15 per hour and weekly pay
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Premier local home care agency whether you are in need of care or you’re a caregiver
Chosen Family Home Care, for example, takes all of the above items very seriously when it comes to being the top home care assistance provider for seniors in greater Philadelphia. In addition to ensuring adequate licensure, background checks, and meeting other state requirements, Chosen Family Home Care works to excel in the other areas referenced.
For example, Chosen Family Home Care works to recruit the best caregivers and home health aides in all of Philadelphia by being the top paying home care agency in the region. There is generally a shortage of qualified home care workers and caregivers in the region. By being the top paying home care agency, we make it easier to staff our caregiver positions. Even more importantly, it allows us to recruit and hire caregivers with experience and compassion to excel in their roles.
Home care agency search tools
Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all search tool to finding all of the right home care agencies that fit your needs. That being said, we break down different home care assistance providers through several different search tools. The first few options are based on insurance. Then, we list a few other options for searching the right home care agencies that you may find helpful.
Veterans Affairs
There is a caregiver program that the VA provides to eligible recipients. It can provide home care assistance through third party caregivers. Plus, eligible VA programs can even pay family caregivers to provide support to a loved one.
To start your search for home care support, navigate here. Put in your zip code, select “community providers,” and type in “In home supportive care” under the “service type” option. Upon your search, the VA provider tool will return a list of home care agencies based on their distance from your zip code.
Medicaid waiver providers
Long term living provider list
This list is a full guide for every approved service provider under the Office of Long Term Living (OLTL). It shows providers across the state of Pennsylvania and is separated by county. This list is very comprehensive, as it shows more than just approved home care agencies. It also provides Medicaid waiver approved providers including service coordination, counseling, and physical therapy, among others.
While it is a very comprehensive list, it is not sortable. It is separated by county, but this still makes it tough to distinguish between each home care agency.
Home care assistance providers by health plan
If you already have a managed care organization health plan through Medicaid waiver, this can be an easier way to search for your provider. The managed care providers through Medicaid waiver are under Community Health Choices. They include UPMC, Keystone First, and PA Health and Wellness.
Keystone First
Main search and landing page for provider searches
Home Care Agencies: Keep in mind that Chosen Family Home Care is also a proud home care contracted partner of Keystone First. Chosen Family Home Care can serve Keystone First participants across Philadelphia, PA. Plus, we hire family caregivers as well that get paid to care for their loved ones.
PA Health and Wellness
Main search and landing page for finding PA Health and Wellness participating providers
Home care services: Click the link to find all of the PA Health and Wellness providers that offer home care for participants. Please note, they refer to it by an alternate name here (in home supportive care), but it means the same thing. Also, as you’ll see, the website doesn’t have the same functionality as Keystone First. Therefore, you cannot click the link directly to provider search results.
UPMC
Main landing page for UPMC CHC waiver provider searches.
Home care services: Click here for home care providers within 20 miles of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. If you’re in need of a quality home care provider, Chosen Family Home Care is a provider of personal assistance services both in Philadelphia as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties of Philadelphia.
Pennsylvania Homecare Association search tool
The Pennsylvania Homecare Association is a state trade association. They represent hundreds of organizations that provide support and care to individuals in their own homes. Members of the PHA provide medical care, physical, speech or occupational therapy. Many also provide personal care, such as assistance with activities of daily living like meal preparation and bathing, and end-of-life care for people with terminal illnesses.
The PHA search tool only searches for home care agencies that are a part of the homecare association. That being said, there are many good home care assistance providers that are a part of the organization. Use the PHA provider search tool here.
You may be surprised that google in this case isn’t always the best option. However, when using google.com, we recommend using a search like “home care agencies near me,” or “home care agency (insert zip code).” The variety of results, including paid placements, can be a bit confusing. Among the top 50 search results in Philadelphia on Google for home care agencies near me in Philadelphia, you will find the following home health companies and caregiver agencies. These are in addition to Chosen Family Home Care that are not paid placements and the list is current as of February 8, 2021:
- Chosen Family Home Care
- Ameribest Home Care
- My All American Care
- Synergy Home Care
- Angels On Call
- Prestige Home Care
- Visiting Angels
- Aurora At Home
- Home Care of Philadelphia
- Pristine Home Care
- Prestige Home Care
- Affordable Home Care Agency
- Forever Young PA
- Center City Home Care
- A Team PA
- 5 Star Home Care
- Alliance Agency
- Patriot Home Care
- Reliance Homecare Agency
- Right Aid Home Care Agency
- Liberty At Home
- America Home Healthcare
- Right At Home
- Delia Maria Home Care
- Home Care Assistance
- Blessings4ever
- Neighborly Home Care
- Home Instead
- Complete Homecare PA
- Better Home Care
Of all of the home care agencies listed above that are found on google.com when searching “home care agencies near me in Philadelphia,” only Chosen Family Home Care publicly offering $15 an hour in pay for its caregivers (call for terms and conditions). That makes Chosen Family Home Care the top paying home care agency in Philadelphia. For family caregivers, this means a living wage. For those that need a hired third party caregivers, that means that we have the ability to recruit and hire the best caregivers throughout all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ultimately, that means that we can provide better care for our seniors and disabled individuals in need. Find out more of what we offer our high-quality and compassionate caregivers on our careers page.
Other search options
Unfortunately, many other search tools you’ll find on the internet are sponsored searches. That means that the list of home care agencies that are featured are displayed because those listings were paid for by the home health and home care agencies. Granted, there is nothing wrong with this, but it is important for those searching to be aware. The list of search options include:
- Care pathways
- Caring.com
- Care.com
- Agingpathways.com
- Agingcare.com
- Retirementliving.com
- Seniorcare.com
- Angieslist.com
As mentioned, these are potential search tools but we don’t recommend the use of home care agency sponsored search options such as these. Overall, this is because they are only paid placements listed, or they highlight agencies that pay for direct marketing.
Comparing home care agencies and other options
When you are one of the millions of Americans that prefers to reside in their own home, then it may be time to consider a future with a supportive caregiver helping a senior loved one at home. If you’re still not sure about the type of care and home care services you or your loved one might need, a highly skilled and experienced Chosen Family Home Care representative can answer your questions and develop a tailored care plan to best fit your needs. Please call or text Chosen Family Home Care today at 267.457.4122 or send us a message online for more information. Our caring staff is available every day. We look forward to serving you or your family.
More caregiver and resources for home care near me in Philadelphia
- Medicare home health services. Click here to compare home health agencies and find home health services coverage here.
- Caregiver resources and long term care from the department of Health and Human Services. Another resources is through the ACL.
- Caregiver support program which is available at Area Agencies on Aging in and around Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging manages this program.
Why Work For Chosen Family Home Care?
Chosen Family Home Care Offers Weekly Pay
- Each employee will earn an average of $15 per hour. Even if you have no experience, Chosen Family Home Care will make sure that you not only have the tools to be successful but that you will also be paid an average of $15 per hour.
- 5 paid days of vacation (up to 40 total hours) accruing from day one.
- Flexible schedule. We understand you have commitments outside of your job. Whether you work full or part time, Chosen Family Home Care works diligently to accommodate your schedule.
- Professional growth. We provide paid training monthly to all caregivers and home health aides.
- No Long Commutes. We work to match caregivers with a nearby client as much as possible.
- Weekly pay. No waiting around or wondering when you will get paid as a caregiver with a once a week pay schedule.
Is caregiver training provided?
Yes. Chosen Family Home Care has its own training department. We work to make sure that caregivers and home health aides have all the tools they need to be successful. By providing the right foundation for caregivers to be successful, they will not only be better in their jobs, but they will also be happier caregiver employees. On top of that, clients will receive both better home care provided and also be happier clients as well. It’s a win-win situation for caregivers, clients, and the home care agency alike.
Are there any other caregiver requirements?
Yes. All home care agencies will require that caregivers pass a criminal history background check as well as a negative tuberculosis test result. On top of that, prospective caregivers must have a car, insurance, and valid driver’s license. Plus, they should possess a willingness to learn. There is no college degree required, but caregivers must be teachable.
Chosen Family helps seniors enjoy their final years in their homes as well as disabled adults in the region. As a caregiver with Chosen Family, you’ll work with one individual at a time. You can also be a paid family member. You’ll participate in fun activities like art, games, reading and music, plus tasks like housekeeping, meal preparation, running errands, and other personal care related activities.
How can I learn more about Chosen Family Home Care or working at the organization?
Feel free to reach out to us at 267.457.4122. You can call us or text us directly at our home care agency phone number. Also, you can send us a message through our website. Finally, be sure to follow us and connect with us on both Facebook or Instagram.
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