Assisted living residents may be able to hire an outside caregiver for additional personal care, companionship, supervision, or routine support. Whether the arrangement is permitted depends on state requirements, the resident agreement, community policies, the caregiver’s qualifications, and the resident’s consent.
Yes, assisted living residents can often hire outside caregivers, but access is not automatic in every community. The resident or authorized representative should review the admission agreement and speak with the facility before arranging services.
Indiana residential care regulations give residents the right to participate in their service plans and choose service providers, including home health agencies, hospice providers, and hired individuals. However, a facility may establish limitations through its policies, and those limitations must be stated in the admission agreement.
An outside caregiver may provide supplemental support for one resident. The caregiver does not become a facility employee, replace community staff, or count toward required staffing levels. The National Center for Assisted Living recommends that communities maintain clear boundaries because private caregivers are not employed or supervised by the assisted living facility.
Residents and families considering this arrangement can learn more about private duty care in assisted living facilities.
Assisted living outside caregiver approval generally involves the resident or authorized representative, the home care agency or caregiver, and the assisted living community. A payer or care coordinator may also need to authorize services when insurance, Medicaid, or another benefit is involved.
The resident should consent to the services and to any appropriate sharing of personal information. Indiana rules protect the confidentiality of personal and clinical records and recognize residents’ privacy during bathing and personal care.
Before approving access, the community may need to confirm:
Approval does not transfer the facility’s responsibilities to the outside provider. It also does not require the facility to supervise the caregiver as one of its employees.
Outside caregiver requirements in assisted living may include agency licensing, insurance, background screening, training information, identification, orientation, and compliance with sign-in procedures.
Indiana licenses Personal Care Services Agencies that provide attendant care, homemaker assistance, and companion services. (Indiana Government) A community should verify an agency’s current status through official records rather than relying only on marketing materials.
NCAL recommends that private-caregiver policies address:
The same standards should be applied consistently, with legal and insurance guidance when appropriate.
Facilities developing formal standards may also review choosing a home care agency partner for assisted living.
Yes, a home care agency is different from hiring an independent caregiver because the agency generally employs, assigns, and supervises its own staff. With a direct hire, the resident or family may be responsible for screening, scheduling, supervision, insurance questions, backup care, and possible employment obligations.
The IRS explains that a worker may be a household employee when the hiring party controls both what work is performed and how it is performed. When an agency provides and controls the worker, the worker is generally not the household’s employee. Individual circumstances vary, so families should seek qualified tax or legal guidance before hiring directly. (IRS)
Nana Cares is an agency provider. Its non-medical services can include personal care, companionship, homemaker support, respite, and overnight care based on assessment, facility approval, care-plan scope, and availability. (Nana Cares LLC) Families needing hands-on daily assistance can also review personal and attendant care in Indianapolis.
Residents, families, and assisted living representatives can contact Nana Cares to discuss whether agency-provided supplemental care may fit a resident’s needs and community requirements.
Services are subject to assessment, resident consent, facility policies, safety, payer authorization, scheduling needs, and caregiver availability. Facility approval, acceptance, and a particular start date are not guaranteed.
Compassionate, non-medical in-home care for seniors and adults with disabilities across Central Indiana.
Nana Cares provides personal care, homemaker services, companion care, respite care, and overnight support with a warm, professional approach.