I'm not an agency. I don't agree because (1.) she's not full time. (2.) she doesn't want taxes taken out. In the beginning, she insisted on having her check Pay to the Order of "Cash". She gets $160 per 24 hour shift. The other caregiver works 4 days a week and lives here for $100/day when on-duty.
$160 for 24 hour shift comes to $6.67 per hour. My boss was paying $15/hour for his non-agency Caregiver to care for his wife who had late stage Alzheimer's. His Caregiver wanted extra for the holidays, and he wouldn't pay... he went through quite a few Caregivers because of that, thus it was always a new learning curve for each new employee.
I'd say an employee who works holidays should be paid extra. But I'd say arrangements should be above-board and legal, too, so I am not sure that my advice is what you are looking for.
Definitely take out taxes, it could come back to bite you and her both.
I'd prefer to take out taxes, but she wanted it this way.
She said she wanted $160 because she's awake 16 hours and won't get paid to sleep here. So, I thought, "ok, it makes sense to me." Of course, it includes food, too.
I'm not trying to be cheap. I just don't have a lot of money.
$10 to $15 an hour is not expensive. You are paying them to do what you don't want to so why should they work for minimum wage when jobs like the one you offer are plentiful and will pay far better.