Here are some tips and things to keep in mind when working with organizations. You will rarely have problems with caretakers they send. People who work for organizations are caring individuals who want to help. Furthermore, an organization deals with most of the logistics that you would have to deal with if you had a direct-hire: parking, a majority of the paperwork, and payroll. For more pros and cons for working with an organization, click here.
When you find an organization, you will have an in-home meeting with one of the representatives. This person will likely be a nurse. You will tell them what cares you will need. Be specific and don't leave anything out, even if it's something small or happens irregularly. I wouldn't mention that you have other caregivers unless they ask (if a normal caregiver is gone, they will ask if your other caregivers can cover). The organization will then find one or several people to work your shift.
Some good questions to ask the representative are, do you have staffing available? (If you're on a time crunch for finding care you want to make sure they can fill your shift) What is your policy regarding caregivers requesting time-off? (You want to make sure that employees are required to give plenty of notice so they can find replacements) What do you pay your employees (minimum wage can lead to flighty caregivers)
Once you start with your organization, the same rules found here apply. Just because an organization can find someone else, doesn't mean you want them to. It would be a good idea to find times during the shift that you would be okay without them. If a caregiver is gone and the organization is short-staffed, you may have to tell them the most important times during your shift. Normally, they find backup for the whole shift (they're contracted to), but it's something to consider. An organization is very strict with the guidelines of your shift. They won't like it if you want to make a schedule change (i.e. if you want a caregiver to come earlier or later).
Here are some organizations I've looked into. I don't have experience with all of these, but I've known people who've used almost all of these.
