Dozens of home care agencies serve Las Vegas and Henderson, and on the surface, many of their websites look nearly identical. Same stock photos of smiling caregivers. Same promises of “compassionate, trusted care.” Underneath that marketing, the differences are significant — and they affect your loved one’s safety, your budget, and your peace of mind every single day the caregiver is in the home.
This checklist pulls together the questions that actually matter when you’re comparing agencies. Print it out. Use it on every call.
1. Licensing and regulatory standing
Before you sign anything:
- Confirm the agency is licensed as a “Personal Care Agency” by the State of Nevada.
- Check for open complaints or inspection deficiencies in the state’s public records.
- Ask how long they’ve been operating under their current license and ownership.
2. Employment structure: W-2 vs. 1099
This is one of the most important — and least obvious — differences between agencies. Ask directly: “Are your caregivers W-2 employees or 1099 independent contractors?”
W-2 is the safer answer. It means:
- The agency pays payroll taxes, workers’ compensation, and unemployment insurance on the caregiver.
- The agency can actually supervise, schedule, and direct the caregiver’s work (1099 contractors legally cannot be supervised the same way).
- The agency withholds income tax and files W-2s — not a 1099 that pushes employment risk onto the family.
If an agency uses 1099 contractors and markets itself as a “caregiver registry” or “matching service,” read the fine print carefully. You may be the legal employer without realizing it.
3. Background checks and screening
Background checking is table-stakes, but the depth varies. Ask:
- Do you run state and federal background checks before hire?
- How often are checks re-run after hire?
- Do you verify Social Security number, work authorization, and references?
- Do you require TB testing, CPR certification, and in-person interviews?
“We do background checks” is not an answer. Get the specifics.
4. Training — real training, not an online quiz
Good caregiving is a skill, and skills require training. Ask what training new hires receive before they’re sent to a client:
- Hands-on training in transfers and body mechanics.
- Dementia-friendly communication techniques.
- Infection control and universal precautions.
- Fall prevention.
- Emergency response — what to do if there’s a fall, a medical event, or a fire.
- Ongoing continuing education during employment.
5. Supervision and quality oversight
A caregiver is only as good as the system behind them. Agencies that leave caregivers unsupervised tend to have quality problems. Ask:
- Who supervises my caregiver, and how often does that person actually come to the home?
- Do you do unannounced quality visits?
- How is the care plan documented, and how often is it reviewed?
- How are shift notes recorded — on paper, in an app, or just verbally?
6. Backup coverage
Caregivers get sick. Cars break down. Life happens. What matters is whether the agency has a real plan for when your regularly scheduled caregiver can’t make it.
- Do you guarantee coverage if the primary caregiver calls out?
- How much notice do I get if a substitute is coming?
- What’s your policy if no one can come at all?
A real answer is: “We assign a backup caregiver at intake, you meet them before the first shift, and if the primary can’t make it, the backup fills in without changing your routine.”
7. Insurance and liability
Ask each agency to explain, in plain language, how they protect families from liability if something goes wrong in the home. Specifically:
- Do you carry workers’ compensation on every caregiver?
- What general liability coverage protects clients if there’s property damage or an accident?
- How are caregivers bonded?
You don’t need to memorize policy numbers — you just need to confirm the agency has answers, not vague reassurances.
8. Pricing — clear, all-in, and in writing
Home care pricing should be simple: an hourly rate for hourly care, a day rate for 24-hour or live-in, and a clear cancellation and minimum policy. Watch for:
- Unexpected “holiday” or “weekend” surcharges that weren’t mentioned up front.
- Minimum shift lengths that force you to pay for hours you don’t need.
- Long-term contracts that lock you in.
- Sign-up fees, intake fees, or assessment fees — most reputable agencies don’t charge for the initial consultation.
Get the rate, the minimum, the cancellation window, and any surcharges in writing before the first shift.
9. Cultural and language match
Las Vegas is a diverse city, and the right caregiver is one your loved one can actually connect with. Ask whether the agency can match for:
- Language (Spanish-speaking caregivers are common here; Tagalog, Mandarin, and Russian are also available through some agencies).
- Dietary needs and kitchen preferences.
- Religious or cultural comfort — including same-gender caregivers for bathing and personal care if that matters to your loved one.
10. The “gut check” meeting
Before signing, insist on an in-home assessment with the care coordinator and a meet-and-greet with the proposed caregiver. Pay attention to:
- Do they listen more than they pitch?
- Do they ask specific questions about the client’s routine, not just their diagnosis?
- Do they make realistic promises, or over-promise?
- Does your loved one feel comfortable with the caregiver in the room?
Trust that gut reaction. Care works when the family and the caregiver genuinely click.
Red flags that should send you elsewhere
- Refusal or hesitation to provide their Nevada license number.
- 1099 contractor model with no workers’ comp coverage.
- Long-term contracts on the first visit.
- No meet-and-greet before the first shift.
- No written care plan or shift-notes documentation.
- Pressure tactics — “This caregiver is only available today, we need to decide now.”
- No local office where you can actually meet the coordinator in person.
How Family Personal Care measures up
Our short version — we designed this checklist the same way we built the agency.
- Nevada-licensed since our founding.
- All caregivers are W-2 employees, fully screened.
- State and federal background checks, re-screened annually.
- Written, family-approved care plans with supervisor visits on a regular cadence.
- Backup caregivers assigned at intake and introduced in advance.
- Flat hourly rate with no holiday surcharges or long-term contracts.
- Free in-home consultation and meet-and-greet before the first shift.
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) care coordinators and caregivers.
Start your search the right way
If you’re comparing agencies, print this checklist and bring it to every conversation. And if you’d like to see how Family Personal Care answers each question, call us at (702) 906-1999 or request a free home visit — bring the checklist with you.