What is a caregiver agreement?
A caregiver agreement is the contract between a family and the person they hire to look after an elderly, ill or disabled relative at home. Families often arrange care in a hurry, after a fall or a hospital stay, and agree everything by word of mouth. Writing it down protects everyone: the caregiver knows exactly what is expected and how they will be paid, the family knows who does what, and the person receiving care has clear safeguards around their money, medication and dignity.
This template records the person receiving care, their needs and preferences, the caregiver's duties and what is not included (such as clinical nursing tasks), the schedule and an optional trial period. You set the pay rate and unit, extra-hours and holiday pay, paid time off and sick days, and whether the caregiver is an employee or self-employed, which changes who handles tax. Choose live-in terms if they apply, how medication is handled — giving it from labelled packs with a record, reminders only, or not at all — and whether the caregiver drives, with mileage. It also covers emergency contacts, where the care plan and any advance directive are kept, rules on money, gifts and confidentiality, and notice to end.
- Best for
- Elder care, dementia care, disability support and recovery care at home
- Signed by
- The family member hiring (or the person receiving care) and the caregiver
- Pay
- Per hour, day, week or month, with optional extra-hours rate and mileage
- Length
- About 3 pages, initialled by both on every page
When to Use a caregiver agreement
- Hiring a daytime caregiver for a parent living alone
- A live-in caregiver for a relative with dementia
- Short-term care at home after a hospital stay or operation
- Paying a friend or neighbour to provide regular support to a disabled relative
- Putting an existing informal care arrangement in writing
What You Fill In
28 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: family member, caregiver.
1 The family
- Family member's full name*
- Family member's phone and email*
- Person receiving care*
- Where care takes place*
- Care needs and preferences*
2 The caregiver
- Caregiver's full name*
- Caregiver's phone
- Employment status* an employee of the Family Member · self-employed
3 Hours and pay
- Start date*
- Trial period (weeks, optional)
- Days and hours*
- Live-in* No · Yes
- Live-in terms
- Currency*
- Pay*
- Pay is* per hour · per day · per week · per month
- Hourly rate for extra hours or public holidays (optional)
- Paid* weekly · every two weeks · monthly
- Paid time off and sick days*
4 Care
- Duties*
- Not included (optional)
- Medication* The caregiver gives medication from labelled packs as prescribed and records each dose · The caregiver only reminds the person to take their own medication · The caregiver does not handle medication
- Driving* not included · in the family's insured vehicle · in the caregiver's own insured vehicle, with mileage paid
- Mileage rate (optional)
5 Emergencies
- Emergency contacts*
- Where the care plan and medical documents are kept
6 Ending
- Notice to end (days)*
- Governing law*
7 Who signs
- Family member signature and date, initials on every page · The person hiring the caregiver — often the relative being cared for, or a family member arranging and paying for the care.
- Caregiver signature and date, initials on every page
What the caregiver agreement Covers
- Care needs
- Duties
- Hours
- Pay
- Time off and absence
- Medication and health
- Emergencies
- Driving
- Money, gifts and confidentiality
- Ending the Agreement
- General
Using the caregiver agreement, step by step
1 Describe the person and their needs
Enter who is receiving care, where, and a short summary of their needs and preferences — mobility, memory, diet, routines they enjoy. Keep detailed medical information in a separate care plan and say where it is kept.
2 Set the duties
Edit the list of duties and the list of what is not included. Choose how medication is handled; if the caregiver gives medication, the agreement requires labelled packs and a written record of every dose.
3 Agree hours, pay and time off
Enter the start date, schedule and any trial period, the pay and how often it is paid, a rate for extra hours or holidays, and paid time off and sick days. Choose employee or self-employed, and live-in if the caregiver will live in the home, then describe the room, meals and off-duty time.
4 Add emergencies and send
List emergency contacts — a family member and the doctor are a good start — choose the driving arrangement, set the notice period and governing law, then add the caregiver as a signer and send.
Tips Before You Send It
- Check whether you are a household employer. In many places a caregiver who works set hours in your home is an employee, and you may need to register, run payroll and hold insurance.
- Pay at least the minimum wage and follow local rules on overtime, rest breaks and on-call time — they often apply to live-in carers too.
- Ask for references and, where available, a background check before the caregiver starts.
- Keep a medication record and a daily care log. They help doctors, other family members and any replacement caregiver.
- If the person receiving care has a lasting or enduring power of attorney, the attorney may need to sign or approve the arrangement.
Sign It Online In Minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. VergeHR builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in Files and emailed to everyone.
Caregiver agreement: frequently asked questions
Is a caregiver an employee or self-employed?
It depends on local law and on how the work is actually done, not on what the agreement calls it. A caregiver working set hours in your home under your direction is often treated as a household employee. The template lets you choose and adjusts who is responsible for tax and insurance, but check the rules where you live.
Can a family member be paid as a caregiver?
Often, yes. A written agreement is especially useful when a relative is paid, because it shows the payments are for care, not gifts. Some public benefits and care funding programs have their own rules about paying relatives, so check before you start.
Why does the agreement mention gifts and wills?
It is a standard safeguard for vulnerable adults. The caregiver agrees not to ask for or accept money, valuables or loans, not to seek or encourage a benefit under the person's will, and not to ask the person to sign documents, without the family member's written agreement.
Is an electronically signed caregiver agreement valid?
Electronic signatures are generally valid for ordinary contracts like this in the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada. VergeHR keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF.
Is this template free?
Yes. It is free to use with the eSignature app in VergeHR, and the caregiver doesn't need a VergeHR login to sign.