Across the country, families are facing a growing challenge: how to find consistent, compassionate, and affordable home care for their aging loved ones. With a rapidly aging population and a care workforce shortage, this challenge is only likely to escalate.

Although traditional home care agencies may be the first port-of-call for many families, many agencies struggle with caregiver retention. Overhead costs and agency profit margins mean that caregivers may receive low pay that sees them seek out other opportunities, such as caregiving for private clients, or turn to other professions (further spurring the care workforce shortage). For families, this can translate into difficulties with care consistency and control over who their caregiver is.

That’s when families might begin to ask: Why can't we hire a caregiver ourselves?

This simple question is fueling a quiet but powerful shift. More families are choosing to hire caregivers directly—on their own terms, with the support of trusted partners like Clara Home Care. They want greater consistency, deeper relationships, and more say in how care is delivered. In short, they want a caregiver who works for them—not for an agency.

Independent Caregivers: The New Standard in Home Care?

Unlike agency employees who rotate between multiple clients, independent caregiver are hand-selected by families to work full-time or live-in, providing one-on-one support for a single individual or couple. It’s a model similar to hiring a nanny or household manager: personal, professional, and deeply committed.

Over time, these caregivers become trusted partners. They get to know routines. They anticipate needs. They offer emotional presence, not just physical assistance. Many families describe them as “part of the family”—and for good reason.

Without an agency in the middle, independent caregivers take full ownership of the care relationship. They collaborate directly with families, provide real-time updates, and advocate for their clients’ well-being with confidence and heart.

Why More Caregivers Are Leaving Agency Work

Families aren’t the only ones craving change. Many top caregivers are walking away from agency jobs—not because they don’t care, but because they care too much.

They want to do meaningful work with consistency and dignity. Unfortunately, traditional agency models—while essential in some situations—often offer caregivers unpredictable hours, lower wages, and little opportunity to form lasting relationships.

When caregivers feel unsupported or underpaid, families feel it too: care becomes fragmented, rushed, or unreliable. Private caregiving flips the model. When caregivers are fairly paid, deeply trusted, and fully engaged, everyone benefits.

At Clara, the independent caregivers in our referral network are all background checked, vetted and experienced. Many have worked in hospitals, assisted living communities, or specialized dementia care. Some are pursuing nursing or gerontology degrees. All are drawn to one-on-one care, where they can make a real difference.

What Independent Caregivers Can Do

Private caregivers are not nurses—but they are essential to supporting a full, healthy life at home. Their work goes beyond the basics of daily living. They bring structure, heart, and presence to each day.

They can help with:

• Personal care and hygiene

• Meal preparation and nutritional support

• Light housekeeping and laundry

• Health monitoring and early alerts

• Daily routines and mobility support

• Mental stimulation and companionship

• Coordination with nurses, therapists, or family members

• Maintaining a calm, safe, and comfortable home

Because they are focused on one client or couple, independent caregivers build strong emotional connections and understand subtle changes over time—something shift-based models often miss.

In fact, families who find and directly hire their perfect independent caregiver with the support of Clara typically have the same caregiver for 96% of their tenure. (The other 4% often accounts for planned vacations or illness—for which Clara is able to provide quality backup coverage).

Supporting Sustainability: Lower Costs for Families, Higher Pay for Caregivers

Direct employment isn’t just more personal—it’s often more affordable.

In high-cost areas, around-the-clock agency care can easily cost up to $400,000 per year. Yet only a portion of that reaches the caregivers themselves. The rest goes toward administrative overhead. By hiring directly, families can offer caregivers better pay and job stability—while often saving up to 30% overall. That savings can extend care, reduce stress, or support other household needs, such as the support of a care manager.

The Key: Doing It the Right Way

Families often worry that hiring a caregiver privately means taking on the full burden of employment—taxes, insurance, contracts, and compliance. That’s where Clara Home Care comes in.

At Clara, we provide an end-to-end solution so that you can directly hire a caregiver, without the administrative burden of direct employment. We handle all logistical aspects of hiring and retaining an independent caregiver, including:

• Payroll, tax filings, and workers’ compensation

• Background checks and onboarding

• Legal compliance and liability coverage

• Emergency backup care through our vetted network

Private care is not the “wild west.” With the right tools and support, it’s compliant, legal, and sustainable—even in states like California, where wage and hour rules are complex.

A Better Path Forward

The caregiver shortage isn’t going away. Our aging population continues to grow, and families need a new kind of solution—one that honors the needs of both care recipients and care providers.

Independent caregivers offer that solution. And with the right support, direct employment is not only possible—it’s the future of home care.

At Clara Home Care, we believe families deserve more choice, and caregivers deserve better pay. We believe home care can be highly personalized, consistent and more affordable —and that trusted, direct relationships are the heart of what makes care feel like care.