Private duty home care is a form of general home care. Caregivers can provide a wide range of services such as medical, nursing care, bill paying, and transportation. Other services can include:
Private duty home care differs from traditional home care due to the payment method, which is private pay. Private pay is also known as paying “out-of-pocket”. It means existing savings and assets are used to cover the cost of elderly care services. This is one of the most common forms of payment and it is accepted by many elderly care services. A few methods used to pay for care include trusts, reverse mortgages, and annuities.
A certificate of need is a legal document required in many states and some federal jurisdictions before proposed acquisitions, expansions, or creations of facilities are allowed. You must make sure that your business is allowed to expand to private duty.
An agency that adds private duty may spread administrative and general expenses over more visits. This will lower Medicare reimbursement.
Find the best person to head your private duty service. They must understand the structure of your business and have experience in management.
Private duty has a very different payroll structure than other home care sectors. Private duty is a competitive market where caregivers are often paid weekly and demand pay to be in line with industry standards. Overtime calculations may differ as well.
There are many private duty staff educational requirements. A good educational resource is the Private Duty Homecare Association.
Target end users of private duty, such as the family members of elderly who need care.
Private duty recruitment can be difficult due to work-flows and hours available. Expect to spend money on staff recruitment.