Home caregivers who lack licenses face fines

caregivers hired to help the elderly or disabled in Palm Beach County need to be licensed by Wednesday.

Unlicensed caregivers could face up to a $500 fine and 60 days in jail.

County commissioners approved the licensing requirements in October 2015, but officials haven’t been fining violators in an effort to give caregivers time to learn about the new rules, said Eugene Reavis, manager of consumer affairs. That grace period ends Wednesday, he said.

In-home caregivers are required to be fingerprinted and photographed, pass a background check and obtain a county-issued photo ID badge. The rules apply to caregivers who are paid to assist in housekeepfice. ing, bathing, cooking, shopping and other daily activities.

Charitable volunteers and most relatives paid to serve as caregivers are exempt from the rules.

Two detectives pushed for the County Commission to adopt the stricter screening rules in an effort to weed out people with criminal histories who might steal from or abuse the elderly and disabled, said Teri Barbera, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff ’s OfHome “They were being taken of advantage of,” she said. “This is why this idea was born.”

Nearly 5,000 caregivers have registered with the county since the new rules were adopted, far surpassing the county’s projections, Reavis said.

Companies can submit a form vouching for employees that have passed a background check and been fingerprinted. In that case, they must pay $20 for a photo ID badge, which must be renewed every five years. It costs $70 for caregivers working independently to obtain the license.

Families looking for caretakers are advised to verify the person they hire is licensed, Reavis said.

More information about the licensing program is available at discover.pbc gov.org/publicsafety/ consumeraffairs