In‑home care includes a variety of non medical support services that can allow avperson to live safely in their home. A compelling alternative to care facilities, in‑home care empowers seniors and individuals with complex care needs to remain in a familiar environment, maintaining emotional and social ties to their home and community.

In‑home caregivers typically provide assistance with ADLs (Activities of Daily Living), which can include companionship, transportation, meal preparation, bathing, and more. One of the advantages of in‑home care is that it can be tailored to each individual’s needs as they change over time and can easily slot in to provide much needed respite for family caregivers.

Each care recipient has unique needs. We’ll help you find caregivers that meet those needs. Types of support range from things like light housework, meal prep, pet care, and transportation to nonmedical support for managing health conditions, such as aid with mobility or medication reminders.

Everyone’s care requirements are different — even those with similar needs. As you begin your caregiver search, we suggest making a list of care needs and what times of day or night they typically arise. It can be helpful to prioritize caregiver support on days when you and your family have the least availability or flexibility to provide care for your loved one.

Care Needs are parts of daily life that you or your loved one needs support with. These can range from occasional transportation or help around the home to assistance with more complex activities such as bathing, mobility assistance, or non medical support for serious health conditions. When you create your profile, entering your Care Needs is one of the steps to finding a caregiver who has the right experience for you.

Clear, open communication helps avoid misunderstandings and sets your caregiver on a path to successful care. Being honest and respectfully sharing what is working or not working contributes to a positive relationship. Share your expectations through chat, tasks, and notes to help keep everyone on the same page and reduce stress. Our top tip for a great relationship? Expressing gratitude to your caregiver for providing the physical and emotional support you or your loved one needs.

The easiest way is to give our team of Care Experts a call. They will help you set up your account, enter your Care Needs and personal preferences, and connect you with local caregivers who match your needs through a quick and easy Zoom interview.

Prefer to get started on your own? Not a problem. You can set up your account through our online portal or by downloading our mobile app. You’ll enter your needs and preferences, which generates a job posting for us to match with potential caregivers. We recommend being as thorough as you can when entering your care needs and sharing a little bit about a typical day of care in the final section.

Start browsing your matches right away! We determine which applicants are likely to be good matches based on several factors, including type of care, distance from you, availability, price, and your personal preferences. If you get stuck or have a question, call anytime for live support.

No matter which way you start your search, our team will help set up virtual interviews with the candidates you’d like to meet. We’ll stay on the meeting with you to answer any questions and help with next steps for hiring.

Need to hire more than one caregiver? No problem. You can hire additional caregivers as needed. You’ll be able to view all your caregivers from the “Team” view when you log into your account online or use the mobile app.

Test

Yes. Herewith requires that all caregivers who join our platform undergo an initial eligibility background check and requires all caregivers to consent to an annual eligibility background check thereafter. These background checks are designed by Herewith to verify whether caregivers meet Herewith’s eligibility standards for participation on its platform. Herewith currently uses Checkr for such background checks.

However, please note that care recipients should not rely solely on Herewith’s eligibility background checks in vetting potential caregivers. Background checks have inherent limitations and may not be complete or accurate in all cases. In addition, you may have different standards or levels of comfort with respect to a caregiver’s history than Herewith does for participation on its platform. We recommend that care recipients and their families conduct their own pre‑employment background checks and check references, among other vetting, to make sure they are comfortable with their hiring decisions.

For more information on Herewith’s platform eligibility background check, please visit Checkr. Or give us a call at 415‑506‑9776 to learn more about ways you can vet potential caregivers through our interview and pre‑hiring process.

Overall, the cost of care is dependent on the hourly rate you agree upon with your individual caregiver. There are many considerations, such as minimum wage in your city or state, your caregiver’s level of certification or expertise, and typical wage ranges for caregivers in your area. Additional factors may affect the total cost, such as your local payroll tax rates. Here’s how to estimate the cost of care for your budget, with an example hourly wage of $20:

• Caregiver’s hourly wages $20
• Taxes + fees* $6.33
• Total estimated cost per hour $26.33

Includes an estimated payroll tax of 11.65% (the payroll tax rate is 9.8 - 11.65% in California) and a 20% service fee from Herewith.

• Herewith offers complimentary browsing and mobile tools, however, once you have hired a caregiver and start receiving care, an Early Termination Fee of $200 may apply if you have employed your caregiver(s) for less than 40 hours total within a 90-day period and are inactive on the platform for more than 14 days. This fee represents an estimation of the costs that Herewith will incur as a result of any such early termination.
• We know that sorting out care isn’t always straightforward. If you need a little time between caregivers or have other considerations, please give us a call at 415-506-9776 to discuss your situation.

• You are your caregiver’s employer, but we help you run payroll with our partner, HomeWork Solutions. When you hire your first caregiver, you’ll follow prompts to set up the account you’d like HomeWorks Solutions to use to pay your caregiver, the Herewith service fee, and any state & federal taxes that may apply. HomeWork Solutions will also help manage any necessary employer payroll tax withholdings.
• Payroll runs on a weekly basis. Your caregiver clocks in and out with their app and submits their hours for your approval each week. You will then submit the approved hours for payroll by following the prompts within the app. You can also submit your caregiver’s hours for payroll at any time during the week by going to the “Manage Caregiver” screen.
• To submit your weekly payroll: Go to the “Team” view. Here, you’ll see notifications for any hours worked that are available to submit. You can submit hours for payroll processing at any period throughout the week. Hours that have not been submitted by Sunday will be automatically processed by our payroll partners, HomeWork Solutions. Your caregiver will receive their paycheck via direct deposit the following Friday.
• To view upcoming shifts or shift history: Go to the “Manage Caregiver” screen, by tapping on your caregiver’s name in the “Team” view.
• What if there’s a mistake in my caregiver’s hours? Not to worry, you can work with your caregiver to make adjustments before hours are submitted for payroll that week. In the case that a shift is being disputed and hasn’t been resolved by the time payroll is submitted, you will have one additional week to work with your caregiver to resolve the shift in question before it is automatically submitted for payroll.
  • For example, sometimes a caregiver may need to clock in or out at a time that’s different than what was scheduled. If this is the case, they will edit their hours worked and add a short explanation for the change. You can then approve the hours as usual or request an additional correction.
  • Or, maybe you notice an inaccuracy later in the week — you may request a correction to their hours at any point in the process up until payroll is submitted by tapping or clicking “Dispute” on the shift overview. Your caregiver can then adjust the hours on their time card.

• At this time, Herewith’s platform supports functionality for caregivers who are classified as personal attendants, and the employer is not required to provide meal periods or make rest breaks available, but you may choose to provide either or both. Read more information about the personal attendant classification here.
• Overtime is accrued at 1.5 x hourly rate for over 9 hours a day and/or 40 in a 7‑day workweek.There is no legal requirement in California that employers provide employees with paid or unpaid vacation time. But if you do choose to provide vacation time, there are rules that apply to how it is accrued and carried over to the following year.
• A household employer is required to provide 24 hours of paid sick leave to their employee. Hours are accrued at a rate of 1 hour of sick leave gained for every 30 hours worked. Please note that some counties and cities in CA require more paid sick leave than the minimum required by the state.

Yes, any additional compensation, such as tips, monetary gifts, or bonuses should be given to your caregiver via HomeWork Solutions, so that the proper taxes and withholding may be taken.

If your payment doesn’t go through, if you need to request a correction after payroll has been run, or if you have questions regarding taxes & withholdings, please contact Herewith support at 415‑506‑9776, or speak to our payroll partner, HomeWork Solutions, directly at 1‑800‑626‑4829.

• We know that there are many reasons why you may need to conclude employment with a caregiver. Not to worry. You can start the process in the app from the “Manage Caregiver” screen (where you can also view upcoming shifts and shift history), or give our Care Experts a call to walk you through the steps.
• Please note: As an employer, you are required to pay your caregiver any unpaid wages on the date of termination, whether it’s a same-day termination or an arrangement you’ve scheduled in advance. Our support team will help you calculate this number. Afterwards, you will receive a separate invoice for any remaining taxes and fees.

• Set your caregiver up for success by sharing an outline of the daily routine & expectations. Give them a tour of the home where they will be working, making sure to note where they can find anything they’ll need on the job, including first aid supplies, a list of emergency contacts, an updated medication list, and a list of meals or activity suggestions.
• If you are hiring care on behalf of a family member, prepare your loved one for the caregiver’s first visit by sharing with them the plan for the day and working through any concerns they might have.
• Plan ahead with our first day of care checklist.

Herewith helps connect you with local caregivers, using our customized matching service to curate and narrow down your search. After hiring, we help you obtain coverage as a household employer with workers' compensation insurance, obtain payroll and tax compliance services, and provide dedicated 24/7 customer support.

• How do I add tasks?
  • Select your care recipient on the home screen. From your care recipient’s profile, you can view ongoing tasks as well as those that have been marked as complete. Tap on the plus icon (+) to create a new task, add a description, mark it as repeating if needed, assign it to one or more team members, and schedule it for a particular time.
  • You can also add Notes to share with your team by tapping on the plus icon (+) in the Notes Section. These entries are very helpful for sharing updates about care with long distance family members or anyone on your Care Team.
• How do I add my family or friends to my care team?
  • Your Care Team consists of an admin (the person paying for care) and current Care Pros (caregivers that you have hired via the Herewith platform), as well as any other members you choose to invite. Some people choose to invite family members, neighbors, or close friends who share in the caregiving responsibility for the care recipient. If you are managing care for a loved one, you may also choose to add them to the team as the care recipient.
  • Simply tap “Invite a new member” at the bottom of the screen and follow the prompt to add the new member’s contact details. We always recommend discussing with the person first so they are expecting to receive the invitation.
• How do I change information about my care recipient?
  • Select your care recipient on the home screen. From your care recipient’s profile, you can view their current Care Information. Simply tap for a detailed view and start editing.

Call us at 510‑916‑1071.

If you are hiring an in-home caregiver, you are eligible for workers’ compensation insurance, which is included in the Herewith services fees at no additional cost. Caregivers on the Herewith platform also have access to free liability insurance coverage of up to $1 million.

• Herewith provides workers’ compensation insurance for free when you hire on our platform.
• Learn more about how workers' compensation protects you from financial risk. Click here to read the full article.

• Coverage starts as soon as your EIN is processed. In the case that the EIN is received after the date employment begins, your coverage will be retroactive to the first day of employment.
• If you’re between caregivers, not to worry; your coverage simply pauses until you hire again and run the next active payroll cycle.
• Please note that your plan only covers caregivers hired via the Herewith platform while they are working onsite. Some insurance limitations may apply.

• If an injury or incident occurs, first seek medical attention for those affected. Then, immediately provide a claim form to the employee if they have been injured or may have been injured. The form can be found here: Workers’ Compensation Claim Form (DWC 1) & Notice of Potential Eligibility (ca.gov)
• Cal-OSHA also requires that the employer provide notification to that agency under certain circumstances. The required form can be found at: EMPLOYER’S REPORT OF OCCUPATIONAL INJURY OR ILLNESS (ca.gov)
• To submit a claim during working hours, contact: RT Specialty Claims Department RT Specialty Insurances Services, LLC

Toll Free: 800‑366‑5810 — ext 994443

• After working hours, contact:
  • Phone: 866‑272‑9267
  • Email: AmTrustclaims@qrm‑inc.com

In most cases, to be eligible for benefits, policyholders must demonstrate a need for assistance with at least two Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), like eating, walking, dressing, showering, or toileting, or demonstrate a need for memory care. Check with your insurance provider for details on these variables, as well as any waiting periods, which may necessitate out-of-pocket payment.

• HomeWork Solutions partners with us to provide payroll and tax management services, free of cost, to both families receiving care and to caregivers, so you don’t have to worry about surprise tax bills or issues with payroll. When you hire your first Caregiver via the Herewith platform, just follow the prompts to set up the necessary payroll and tax information.
• Have a question about either of these services? Contact HWS at 1‑800‑626‑4829 or visit their FAQ page.

• Safety is our top priority. If you have concerns about your caregiver, please contact us directly at 415‑506‑9776. If there’s an emergency, call 911.

Herewith requires that all caregivers who join our platform undergo an initial eligibility background check and requires all caregivers to consent to an annual eligibility background check thereafter. These background checks are designed by Herewith to verify whether caregivers meet Herewith’s eligibility standards for participation on its platform. Herewith currently uses Checkr for such background checks.

However, please note that care recipients should not rely solely on Herewith’s eligibility background checks in vetting potential caregivers. Background checks have inherent limitations and may not be complete or accurate in all cases. In addition, you may have different standards or levels of comfort with respect to a care giver’s history than Herewith does for participation on its platform. We recommend that care recipients and their families conduct their own pre-employment background checks and check references, among other vetting, to make sure they are comfortable with their hiring decisions.

For more information on Herewith’s platform eligibility background check, please visit Checkr. Or give us a call at 415‑506‑9776 to learn more about ways you can vet potential caregivers through our interview and pre-hiring process.

No, past caregivers are not able to access your Care Team or information on the Herewith platform, aside from your name and their own payroll records.

Only users within a Care Team see your full name and contact information. Even when you publish a job post or schedule an interview, we ensure that only your first name is visible to candidates, and all contact information is hidden.

• We want Herewith to be a safe space for everyone. Please report content on the app that violates our community guidelines, or call us at 415‑506‑9776
• Read our Community Guidelines