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I am not in the least comfortable with these asks and certainly did not think this would be the priority up front. Am I being discouraged discreetly by someone looking for an easy target?

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I own an operate a homecare agency. I do not ask for direct access to a client's bank account or any of their other sources of income. The client or their representative receives a bill twice a month.

When we accept a new care client after the contracts have been signed they pay a retainer fee. Sort of like a security deposit. If they violate the terms of the contract or they are dropped from our service for reasons stated in the contract, that money is not refunded.

Clients and their representatives have a choice with us. If they want to set up auto pay with because it's easier we will do that for them. If they want to pay by check, credit card, or insurance that is fine as well. We do not accept cash or digital currency.

We do a 72-hour (three day) grace period on receiving payment. If payment in full is not made within the grace-period time, the client's service stops immediately and the retainer is not returned. Or I will insist on auto payment being set up for them if it's the first time this happens. I will not chase down payment. If the client's bill is paid up in full they will be taken back on service if they choose us. They come back as new clients though. We do the whole process again and they pay the retainer fee again.

I don't care if a client has bad credit or owes the world money. You pay me first or you're dropped from service.

We do not take on elderly clients unless they have a POA in place and there is a local contact that can be reached and can get to the client quickly if needs be. Also, if a client was timely on their payments and they go into residential care or pass away, the retainer is returned.
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Reply to BurntCaregiver
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I would never allow anyone access to my bank acct, debit card or credit card. I would do a direct deposit to their account. Maybe automatic pay like I do with my charge acct. I have an app and each month I pay that months balance. But allowing access to any of these accts sets you up for having unauthorized deductions to be made.

I remember having to sign something that I would not sue.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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I don’t know about homecare agencies.

But when we placed my father in law in assisted living they had a form to be signed regarding dispute resolution . I think they used a different term but it was agreeing not to sue , and any issues would be settled by a mediation process .

They also required that payment be debit from an account . Sort of don’t blame them as many people are late or don’t pay bills. Then they would have to chase down for payment , while still caring for a resident ( for free ) .

If we didn’t like the requirements , then we were free to not sign and place parent in a different facility . I suspect alot do it this way though , including homecare agencies.

They avoid being sued and make sure they get payment for the services , so they can pay their staff and make a profit just like any other business .
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Reply to waytomisery
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waytomisery Jun 23, 2024
I wouldn’t be surprised if non profit nursing homes do this as well in order to be able to pay staff , expenses , and stay afloat .
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The agency we hired for in home care did require signatures on dispute resolution paperwork.

We didn't give authorization for direct payments, we paid them by check. Another agency from a couple of years ago had required a credit card number for billing.
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Reply to OncehatedDIL
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My husband and I have our own business. Digital payments are the norm nowadays. Our corporate clients pay by ACH direct deposit or cc. Almost no one pays by check anymore (even non-corporate clients opt to pay by cc). There's no reason to use checks and for businesses it's more fraud-proof, more accurate for bookkeeping, faster and more consistent.

This guarantees that the agency gets paid in a timely manner so that they can then pay their employees (and other expenses) without creating a cash crunch or having to pay for a line of credit (been there, done that) and things operate more smoothly. I can't imagine trying to wrangle checks from elderly clients... I'm personally glad my clients can now pay me by ACH and cc.

I don't remember if we signed a dispute resolution form when we transitioned my MIL into a facility, it was 8 yrs ago...
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Reply to Geaton777
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From your profile:

"I am caring for my mother Angale , who is 82 years old, living at home with age-related decline, alzheimer's / dementia, anxiety, and arthritis."

"This has been a nightmare, Mom has some clear time and then she cannot remember one moment to the next what she just did. Nearly overdosed on medications. Took 6 weeks to get those from her. Will not give up car keys, will not allow help with bills, will not eat a balanced diet. Very combative with me. In denial about her health. Needless to say , I am worried about her well being but she refuses to speak to me. Frustrating doesn’t cover my feelings, how do you help when it is flatly refused."

Are you referring to a collection agency? Who does she owe the money to? For medical services? Or some other kind of debt resolution? If it's not your debt and you aren't your Mom's active PoA, then don't sign anything on her behalf or without knowing the legal/financial consequences of signing.
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Reply to Geaton777
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I am sorry. I don't really understand this question. Wish I could help.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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You have to be more specific. What agency? What arevyou disputing? And by account do you mean bank accounts?
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Reply to JoAnn29
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BioMom41 Jun 23, 2024
I am sorry I wasn’t clear, it was an “elder care in home service”, it just did not feel right to me but maybe in this age of scams every where. So, I ask the person to provide me withthe Company account # to set up payment. She has resent the original request 3 times. Not sure a dispute resolution and Mother’s account number should be the first ask am I wrong?
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I'm not sure I understand this question either, but I'll just briefly explain what happened about 3 years ago with a home health care agency assigned to me for about 4 or 5 months. I had a small number of hours per month allotted (about 20, which came to 4 or 5 hours a week) that was paid for by a State-run bureaucracy for the aged. When the health care worker came for her first appointment she had lots of paperwork for me to fill out, including one form which required me to provide my debit card number and authorization to deduct certain amounts. I refused, saying that the agency she worked for knew the payment was coming directly from the state agency, so why would I provide MY debit card? She replied, smiling "Oh everyone ends up signing this form, and you will too." I repeated that I had no intention of authorizing anyone from this home health care agency to debit any amount from my card when they had assurance of payment from the state agency -- which, in fact, went through every single week/month that the healthcare worker came, without any problems. I later realized that it may well have been an attempt to double-bill, i,e. receive payment both from the state run agency and myself.
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Reply to Christine44
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BurntCaregiver Jun 23, 2024
@Christine

No way. That is completely unacceptable. First of all, the homecare aide does not handle the paperwork and contracts. All of the paperwork would have been done in advance of her even starting her job with the client. I personally go out (or my aide supervisor does) to open every case. I like to check out a home and the client before I send an aide in on their own. If I find the home to be a potential hazard for the aide, the client themselves requires too high a level of care than we handle, or there is no local, emergency contact who is present at the first meeting, that client will be refused service by me.


What the homecare agency is most likely doing is the old double-dipping scam that nursing homes pull. The bill the insurance (or the state) then also have the client paying out-of-pocket in cash and usually everyone is none the wiser.

The only paperwork your homecare aide should be showing up with is her timesheet for you to sign for the hours she worked. That is all if she isn't using a digital tablet signing pad.

Also, make sure you read the paperwork thoroughly that you sign for the homecare aide to make sure there is no fine print anywhere that you agree to upon signing.

If the state is paying for the homecare hours, you are not. So no one has to give over their bank account numbers or access to their debit or credit cards for payment.

When the homecare agency accepted your case, they also agreed to the form of payment they would receive. They get paid by the state or they go pound sand.

Please report them to the state agency that was paying for the care hours because that is fraud. Don't let it go.
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