I have some questions about home health.

nopejokerope · Dec 12, 2011

So I've been reading posts on this site for a while, and I find them very informative. I thought I might ask questions on here, because I tried asking people/searching the internet but I am confused. I just got my CNA certification 2 weeks ago in California. I found out that SO many places need a years experience before you are hired. Right now, I found a job with a home health agency and took it in the meantime of getting some experience working with people and using some of my skills. Well, I have some issues that made me a bit uneasy. I am employed as a caregiver. There a LOT of patients that need medicines and insulin (sometimes every hour). Now, I understand someone giving it because a nurse can't be there 24/7. I have no doubt that I could administer medications if I had to, but I never had practice of needles before. There is also the issue of who I am working for. My current client's husband hired me for weekend shifts. He found me through the agency, but he hired me on his own. Now, he told me something about doing my own taxes at the end of the year, but I've never done that before. I guess I'll just get on with the questions now that I've explained my situation a bit.

1. I am hired as a caregiver with the agency, but I am a certified CNA. I'm guessing my scope of practice will still be there, even though I am a caregiver. Is there any place I can contact to find out if I still have a CNA's scope of practice even if I'm working as a caregiver?

2. Let's say for a moment my scope of practice doesn't matter because I am a caregiver. Is it illegal for me to administer meds? It seems like if ANY mistake is made I could be liable. I don't even know if I feel comfortable with a family signing an agreement saying they allow me to administer medications, much less insulin! Or if no one knows, can someone tell me how to find out?

3. Shouldn't the agency be required to train me on that? Or make sure I KNOW how to do it? They just kind of send caregivers places and give no orientation whatsoever. I know my skills, but they literally were like "OK, you're hired. Go here."

4. Is it bad for an agency to expect you to use your own car and gas to drive clients to appointments?

5. Here in Los Angeles, do CNA's and HHAs get paid less? I am from PA and I could start out making 12 dollars an hour WITH benefits and eventually get a raise to 15.

6. If you work over 40 hours a week as a caregiver through an agency (let's say that's all 12 hour shifts with different patients) is the agency required to give you time and a half? My boyfriend's mother works over 300 hours a month and get's no insurance or time and a half.

7. Since I work for my client on the weekends not through an agency, does that mean I'm an Independent Contractor? I only work 2 days. My client's husband told me he is considered my employer, but I am to take care of taxes by myself and did not offer me a W2 form or anything.

8. If I am considered just an employee, does my client (or his husband since he's the one paying me) have any obligation to pay any sort of taxes? I have read something about certain taxes being the employers responsibility in situations where they are your employer, and then you are to pay the rest. He said something about getting reimbursed from the government for all of the caregiver's work if this helps any.

Sorry there are so many questions, but I am just confused. :eek: I'd rather go to this site where some people have experience with this kind of stuff than just ask anyone. If no one knows the answer to some of these questions, can you point me to where I can find them out? Thank you for reading this.