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Hallmark vs. Traditional Agency
Why Our Client-Directed Care Model May Be Right For You:
For clients who wish to manage their own homecare, Hallmark provides just-in-time access to pre-background-screened, pre-credential-verified professional and experienced caregivers.
In many cases, today’s agencies are ill-fitted for Hallmark’s client-directed care option. If you are a person who values being in charge and having more say in your own homecare, why would you want to pay the higher fees that agencies charge…
- …for a lower-paid caregiver? An issue that agencies try to avoid discussing is the portion of your payment that ultimately goes to the caregiver (it’s usually less than 50%!). In Hallmark’s case, after the one-time fee to us for the placement of the caregiver, your caregiver will receive almost 100% of the amount you pay for homecare.
- …for caregiver supervision, which you will not even really receive? The next time an agency tells you that it supervises its caregivers, you should ask the question: “During an 8-hour shift (or any shift, for that matter), how many minutes during the shift will a supervisor be on-site to supervise?” You might be surprised at the answer. Rarely – if ever – is the truth of the matter.
- …for workers compensation coverage, which protects the agency, not necessarily you? If an agency offers assurance that it covers you, get it in writing and ask them to indemnify and hold you harmless from any and all liability, including attorney’s fees and other costs arising out a caregiver suffering an injury while performing services for you while at your home. With the Hallmark model, we advise your on how to make affordable arrangements with your current insurance carrier to provide for worker’s compensation insurance that covers YOU!
- …for in-house caregiver training of unknown quality? Agencies commonly tout the fact that they train their caregivers. But the truth is that very few really do, apart from perfunctory admonishments to “not smoke your house” or “make personal calls while on the job.” We at Hallmark require that our caregivers are licensed and in good standing as CNAs, LVNs, CCAs, or equivalent qualifications.
- …for an agency to have the right to take away a caregiver who you really like and trust, and reassign them to a different client? A fundamental distinction between agencies and Hallmark is that an agency retains control over the caregiver as their employer and has the right to move caregivers around at your expense. Once we place a caregiver of your liking with you, we have no right to interfere in that relationship. You are the employer. The only time we will get involved after the initial placement is if something unforeseen should occur and you elect to take us up on our promise and guarantee to replace the caregiver.
Hallmark Homecare supports and respects our Clients’ right to choice. The choice is yours. Give us a call at 1-888-519-2500 to see if we can help you.
