What Goes into a Caregiver Contract?
September 21, 2009
If as a parent and child, you have agreed that the child will care for her parent in exchange for compensation, you need to work with an elder law attorney to draft a caregiver contract, as discussed in earlier posts.
What will your attorney put into the contract? She will list details of the care to be provided, ranging from the hands-on care, meal preparation, shopping, laundry, to the right to a private room and evening quiet hours. Most likely, the attorney will bring in a geriatric care manager to develop a thorough care plan, and the attorney will incorporate the terms of that plan into the contract.
Rate of pay will be included. Can you just ask your parent to pay whatever salary you would like? No. The rate will be based on comparable work performed by professional agencies in your geographic area, such as home health care agencies.
The attorney will also help you arrange for the appropriate payroll deductions, such as Social Security and worker’s compensation.
Beware of trying to write a caregiver contract on your own – this contract will very likely be scrutinized in the future by MassHealth, Social Security, and the IRS. Avoid issues with these agencies later by working with an elder law attorney now to draft an appropriate contract.
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