Everything You Need to Know About Family-Selected Care Providers  

Selecting a care provider to aid your loved one on their care journey is no easy task. The right care provider is someone who understands your loved one, their situation, and is willing to put their all into offering the best care possible. But where to find such a person? For most families that partner with 24 Hour Home Care, their perfect provider is someone they already know. 

What is Pick Your Own Provider? 

24 Hour Home Care offers a program called Employer of Record, Family-Selected Provider, or Pick Your Own Provider. This means families who are approved for care hours can select a provider from their family or social network. 24 Home Care hires the selected care provider, and they are paid for the hours they work. 

Often a care provider is someone in the family, such as a grandparent watching their grandchild or a friend/acquaintance.  

Care providers are paid for the hours they work, and there is no cost to the family receiving services. Families also have the option of bringing on multiple care providers to maximize scheduling flexibility.  

What is the process of Choosing and Hiring a Care Provider? 

Choosing and hiring a care provider is easy with 24 Hour Home Care. To begin the process, families must be approved for care hours through their local Regional Center. Once approved, they can start looking for their care provider. 

When the family selects their provider, the provider’s information is passed to 24 Hour Home Care. The provider must be over the age of 18, eligible to work in the US, pass a background check, and get CPR Certified. 24 Hour Home Care can help with CPR certification if the provider needs it.  

After these requirements are met, 24 Hour Home Care notifies the Regional Center that the family has selected and onboarded their care provider. After that, care providers can start working! 

How to Find a Provider in Your Network 

When looking for a care provider, families can also ask friends and co-workers if they know anyone who could help. Educators and people who work in your child’s school or daycare can be great resources when looking for a care provider. 

Providers can also be found in other places. Look to church members, college students, or any neighborhood Facebook groups for a care provider. Families struggling to find a care provider can download and print out this flyer and post it to any community boards. 

Don’t be afraid to look in unconventional places for a care provider. We like to share the story of one of our clients, a young boy named Kevin. Kevin was approved for care hours through his Regional Center, but his family was struggling to find a care provider.  

One of Kevin’s passions is collecting, playing, and trading Pokémon cards. Because Kevin was so involved in the Pokémon card community, his parents knew people from different events and gatherings. At one of the Pokémon events, Kevin’s parents found a person who could be a provider. This worked well because the provider shared Kevin's passions and had a special understanding of what he was truly interested in. 

Kevin’s story is just one of many where families find care providers in some unlikely places. 

Benefits of Selecting Your Own Care Provider 

There are several benefits to selecting a care provider in your network. One of the most important things is that you start on a foundation of trust. This helps both the family and the provider with things like language, cultural customs, and social norms. 

24 Hour Home Care found that families who pick their own provider use twice the amount of authorized care hours and stay on services longer than families who choose an agency staffed provider. Additionally, families who choose their own provider can start services much faster. 

If families have questions about choosing their own care provider, they can reach out to their local Regional Center or their Service Coordinator. Click here for a list of Regional Centers we partner with.