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The Contract Agreement
This may seem uncomfortable at first. However, you are an employer and this area of
Personal Assistance Services is new territory for all of us. There have been so many war
stories we find it easier to be up front in the first place, assert yourself and take
charge of the situation. It's your life. You have to relate and interact and be supported
by a PA to keep you functioning well. Set the ground rules. Start looking at yourself as
an employer.
The contract should include the following basics:
Trial period: Two weeks is recommended. If the applicant's back ground
inquiry comes back with a record of offenses immediate termination is at the discretion of
the employer.
Task list: You mutually agree on these and go over each one individually.
Work Schedule: You agree on and mutually go over.
Scheduled feedback: Frequent opportunities for discussion on performance.
Termination: Agree on at least two weeks notice for both parties. Discuss
what are the terms for a letter of reference from you.
Payment: Cash wages. Medicaid funded. Insurance. How is payment going to
be made? When they can expect to get paid; i.e. weekly, monthly. What taxes will or will
not be taken out.
Fringe Benefits: Be direct and clear about what you will and will not
pay. Include a clear discussion on items such as room, board, use of vehicle, payment of
travel expenses or recreation expenses i.e. movies, dinner etc.
Termination
Even though you have taken much care in screening and choosing a personal assistant and
have done everything to develop good rapport and morale, the personal assistant you hire
can prove to be irresponsible and uncaring. (Refer to unacceptable behavior.) In that
case, you will have to make your dissatisfaction plain and be firm in your right to expect
better service. But, if lasting improvement is not forthcoming; you should move quickly to
find a more satisfactory replacement. You are hiring someone to assist you with doing
tasks you cannot do for yourself. You deserve to have your needs be met by the PA.
Your personal assistant may wish to terminate. The working/living arrangement may not be
comfortable for one reason or another.
Try to terminate on best possible terms.
Attempt to make sure the duties are completed so the new personal assistant can enter a
clean and orderly household and have more time to learn the routine without unnecessary
confusion.
Get their key to the apartment or house and a forwarding address and phone number if
possible. (Put the new address and phone number on their records in your file.)
RATES OF PAY
The two main programs through the state to pay for PA's are COPES and Medicaid Personal
Care. Allotment for payments for services on your behalf are made by doing an assessment
of each persons needs.
To get more information on these programs contact Washington State Department of Social
and Health Services. You would talk with someone in the Aging and Adult Services Unit. |