The Senior Care Transportation Guide: Managing Your Transportation Care

In this article

• Contract
• Insurance
• Taxes
• Employment Eligibility Verification form I-9
• Communication

The hardest part may be over -- winnowing out the best candidate. But you still need to clarify the terms of employment. Having the candidate sign a contract that specifies exactly what you expect will prevent any unnecessary misunderstandings. And setting up regular check-ins will assure that you both are satisfied with the arrangement.

A good contract will address:

• Terms of payment: the amount as well as the method for paying (each week, each month, cash or check, etc.).
• Hours the transportation provider will work. If these hours will vary from week to week, or from day to day, say so.
• What the driver is expected to do -- such as drive your mother to the supermarket, accompany her shopping, push the cart and put in the groceries that she selects, drive her home, unload and put away the groceries in the places she specifies. Also clarify if the driver needs to maintain your car, if yours is used, or his car, if his is used.
• Provisions for sick or vacation days.
• How much notice either party requests for rescheduling.
• Terms for ending the contract.
• Taxes and health benefits.

What your automobile insurance policy should cover

If you are hiring someone to drive your car on a regular basis, make sure your insurance policy covers any accidents or injuries that might occur during work time.

Taxes

You don't have to worry about paying taxes for drivers who work for an agency. If your driver works for others, and provides his own equipment, he is considered a self-employed contractor, and it is his responsibility to pay taxes. But if you pay an employee who is not a self-employed contractor more than $1,500 in wages during a calendar year, you are responsible for reporting that employee's income to the IRS, and for withholding his Social Security taxes and Medicare taxes. Some states also require that you withhold state tax. Check with the IRS and your state's department of revenue about the exact regulations, as they are frequently updated. If you don't follow the tax laws, you could be charged back taxes, plus a penalty.

Employment Eligibility Verification form I-9

You are legally obligated to fill out an Employment Eligibility Verification form I-9, which verifies that your driver is legally entitled to work in the United States.

Communication

Once you have agreed on the terms of the contract, discuss how frequently you will check in on how you are each feeling about the job. Regular communication will help ensure that you are both satisfied with your arrangement.

The bottom line

Hiring someone to drive your parent once she can no longer safely drive herself is a big transition, both for her and for you. Finding a driver who is reliable, kind, and pleasant can help your parent with an adjustment that very few people like to make. But having a careful driver who can transport her safely will help protect your parent's life, as well as the lives of others.

Ronnie Friedland is an editor at Care.com. Previously she edited InterfaithFamily.com and JewishFamily.com. She has co-edited three books: The Mothers' Book: Shared Experiences (Houghton Mifflin), The Fathers' Book: Shared Experiences (Hall), and The Guide to Jewish Interfaith Family Life: An InterfaithFamily.com Handbook (Jewish Lights).