What is the cost of home care in Gainesville, FL?

Apples vs. Oranges: What are you actually getting?

You have three options (outside of family caregivers) when it comes to home care costs:

• Private Caregiver
• Nurse Registry
• Home Health Agency (non-medical)

A private caregiver is an independent contractor who works for themselves.

The advantage of this choice is flexibility; a private caregiver sets their own schedule and can squeeze multiple clients in a day. They may also be willing to work just a few hours whereas nurse registries and non-medical home health agencies (like Ovation Home Care) may have a minimum number of hours per day and days per week. 

Another advantage of private caregiving is the cost, which tends to be lower. Private caregivers have practically no overhead costs. If private caregiving rates are part of the Genworth Cost of Care survey, the report is giving an unrealistic picture of the cost of care among home care companies.

There are several disadvantages to private caregiving. First, the client and their families must run the background checks to vet the caregivers. Second, if the client’s need is urgent, the client and family will need a backup plan for when the private caregiver is unable to come, either because of an illness, transportation issues, or a family emergency. Also, there are tax implications. A private caregiver may be considered a household employee which puts the onus on the client/family to issue the requisite tax documentation, whether a W2 or 1099.

A Nurse Registry is a pool of certified caregivers, whether CNAs or Certified Home Health Aides. The company connects the client to the caregiver and the caregiver serves the client as an independent contractor. It is up to the client and family to determine what the caregiver will be doing. Supervision of the caregiver is not allowed by the State of Florida.

Ovation Home Care is a non-medical home health agency. This means our caregivers are our employees. We run a Level II background screening on every employee. We carry a liability policy, a surety bond, and a workers compensation policy. We handle the tax issues related to employees, including withholdings and the issuance of a W2 at the end of the year. 

In addition, as an employer, we can supervise our caregivers. In fact, our Care Coordinator program involves a member of our office team visiting our clients and their caregivers a couple of times per month to ensure the quality of care and look for any issues that need to be addressed. Not every home care agency does this, but for us, it’s a way to manage the quality and consistency of the client experience.

Custom Pricing

Rather than use a “one price fits all” approach, Ovation Home Care uses a web app that allows us to determine the right price for each client based on their specific needs. The rate can be between $30-$40/hour, but usually, it’s somewhere in the middle. And we don’t charge more for nights and weekends, as is the case with some companies.