Living Transitions

Hiring help for home maintenance

A home requires ongoing maintenance. For many it is a chore but for some people it is a great way to get physical activity.

At some point, various activities required for home upkeep may be dangerous for an elderly person, even if they are in top physical shape. Balance issues and thinning bones affect the majority of elderly people which makes activities such as climbing ladders, cleaning out gutters, and using power tools especially dangerous. A fall in the home or significant injury is often the cause of an unplanned move to a nursing home. The best prevention is to plan ahead and hire help for your home before you lose the ability to do the maintenance yourself.

There are numerous reasons people refuse to hire help:

• Help is costly
• It is hard to find good people
• Hired help won’t love your home the same way you do
• Hired help sometimes takes advantage of elderly clients

Finding and keeping the right help takes patience and a good process.

• Make a detailed list of the upkeep required – by providing a list, the person you hire has clear expectations of what is required. This helps them price their services appropriately and holds them accountable to the work that is to be completed.
• If you are particular about how work is to be done, be certain to share detailed instructions.
• Find people to hire by asking neighbors first as you are more likely to get a willing helper if they already conduct business in your neighborhood. Also ask friends and family. If this does not result in good candidates, use services such as Angie’s list or Yelp to people and their reviews.
• Check if complaints have been filed at the Better Business Bureau.
• Consider doing a background check, especially if the person will be doing work inside the home or if you are at risk of fraud. The trusting elderly are an easy target for fraudsters. There are multiple services available on the internet.
• Provide the potential employee your detailed list and particular work requirements and ask for a written quote based on the list.
• After they begin working for you, periodically review the list with them to make certain work is being completed as asked.
• To keep good people around, share frequent appreciation when they are doing a great job. If appropriate, provide occasional bonuses or raises without being prompted. No one likes working for a curmudgeon.

It is best to hire registered/licensed companies to do the work, as they should have the appropriate liability insurance and you will not have to worry about paying employment taxes. If you hire an individual, make certain your homeowner’s coverage will provide protection in the event of an injury and talk with your tax professional to determine what responsibility you have for paying employment taxes or workman’s compensation insurance.

Finally, if you need assistance hiring the appropriate people, consider enlisting the help of family members, social workers, or geriatric case managers. Getting the right people in place is important to keep you living independently in a safe manner.