nancy i bet youd get tons of folks looking with good credencials in the houston area there. try checking out care.com just to see.. i was amazed how many in my area had dementia experience looking for $10-12hr..
Wow! Care.com has a LOT of people available in RI although I didn't find any that say they're up for dementia care; many seemed to be of the "I loved my grandma so I'll do eldercare" variety. Still, it's a VERY good start, divvi..
Divvi--just quickly checked care.com for our zipcode--I am impressed. In a few minutes I found someone with a BS in nursing and another with an associate's degree. I must hire at least 1 hr a day from an agency to have the insurance cover it (and the agency I'm using has a 20 hr/week minimum), but when I need more coverage, I'll surely check that website.
Here are a couple of questions--I was told by the agency owner that the reason she has the 20 hr. minimum is so she can ensure that the same person comes every day. Have those of you found this to be the case, generally? In other words, if you use an agency for fewer hours, has it been a parade of different workers?
Secondly, has anyone who hired privately added worker's comp insurance to their homeowner's policy? About how much does that run?
When you hire a private individual or someone from care.com (great site!) don't you have to set up a payroll system that covers social security, etc.? Or, does this all happen the old fashioned way - via cash at the end of each week?
i am also amazed at the supply of folks needing work from that website. i think its a good source as well but i can only offer the name of the website then everyone uses their own check ups and resources if you find something. i saw many folks in my area who had worked with the elderly. some more with credentials than others. my SIL found her nanny 3miles from her house and is very happy so far-just want to encourage everyone be safe of course if you choose to look further and do your checks- the two ladies i saw here actually work in an AD assisted living and one in nursinng home -cant get better than that for what i need. Marilyn,, they would like a min /wk to be able to send the same person. i only use 4hrs/wk for now on fridays -they send who they have but i raised a fuss and now getting the same girl only with 4hrs. i pay 17dol an hr. i will definatly hire private when i need more hrs as well. more forless and they will do house keeping . 10dol/hr!! i will discuss it with my CPA about tax issues. you could opt to offer the 12dol/hr and say that with the extra 2/hr they do their own insurances ? for peace of mind of course you may want to ask your tax person and give a call to insur co for homeowners policy. they WILL add it to your homeowners cov if you let them know --but most of the agencies i have used supply their OWN insurances for their workers which makes it convenient.. check out both ways. divvi ps if you google it be sure to put in Senior care you are looking for from the menu or you will get babysitters/nannies etc!
My impression is that care.com is basically like classified ads. It's not an agency. So prices and hours may be all over the map. I can't tell how much they check people.
i dont think its an agency either briegull they offer a background check if you want i saw that. i think its kinda like craigslist? but with care in mind. like marilyn i have seen many with BS degreees in nursing and or student nurses or well seasoned +yrs of caregivers ---you just have to do your own checks/balances and my DIL sent various emails to those she found intereting and then did background checks and many folowups on references. its easier if they have reall job references of course. i dont have any personal input except my DIL getting her nanny thru here. i just thought it was a helpful resource to look. divvi ps prices were failry consistent for our area here. mainly 10-12dol/hr.. even outside the agencies here the ones who used ot work for agencies are asking 10=12hr/hr.. i think they know whats common in your area but i think experience may be a factor.
Certainly worth investigating. If my knee keeps giving me fits, I think I'll try to find someone to give me a replacement in September after all my summer obligations on the island are over. Then I'll have to have someone in pretty full time.
I'm workin' away at my husband's "office", clearing and clearing stuff out. The empty boxes are recycled or are going out tomorrow; the journals have been researched to see what they're worth (nothing, so they recycle too). Got 200 books cataloged so far, probably another 300 in his room to go. THAT room. Then there's his bedroom, etc. Once his office is cleared out I could even put a bed in there (!). It still has a wall of bright orange and black tigers and so on from when our son dictated its decor when he was about 10. He's now approaching 50. It was only one wall, and it's covered in bookcases, so it hasn't been glowering over me as I work!
But if I could put in a bed, I could have someone stay while I recovered from a knee replacement. Tin Woodsman.
I know that services differ from state to state but I friend of mine with an AD mother told me about the program available in PA. And then when I was having a melt down while seeing my own doctor she also mentioned it. He had to be income eligible (my income does not count for this) and the doctor had to state that without someone to care for him while I worked he would have to be in a nursing home. We started the process the end of December of 07 and had services in the home before the end of January 08. I'm sure that not all state offer a program but I don't imagine that PA is the only one that does. Check it out on line or with your doctor.
The Area Agency on Ageing here in our area administers a dedicated millage for Senior Care, to help Seniors stay in their homes. Some services are covered, some have sliding fees. You have to be at least 60. Dh qualified immediately on release from hospital in '06, for 6 hrs personal and in-home care. Once he was approved for the Medicaid Waiver program, his hours were upped to 9 per week. That Fall they also gave us some extra hours of Chore work--to scrub down walls and ceilings from years of smoking residue. His helper does: shower, shampoo, dressing help; changes bed linen, cleans & straightens bedroom, cleans bathroom, kitchen, sweeps, mops, vacuums, runs laundry(I sort, fold, and he helps put away), does dishes, takes Dh with him to store when he grocery shops and then to Pantry twice monthly on way, home. He also tackles projects when time permits, and does little odds and ends. Last summer I finally qualified for my own aide. $ hours a week. She helps me shower and dress after, shampoo, changes bed linen, straighten bedroom. She'll do dishes, vacuum , etc. but I have her help cook things we can later reheat for meals. This is her forte, where Dh's helper isn't into cooking so much. Plus, I don't want them redoing each other's work. Contrary to certain relatives' take on this, I am not a lady of leisure. It means I can spend my time on things only I can take care of, and allows me to spend my limit stamina where it is needed most. Getting this help set up as quickly as we did, settled Dh into having it as being normal. Adding my help was not hard on him. Change is a huge issue for him, so I reccommend getting some help in--even once a week, early. Also, even if you can do all your household work yourself, having it done lightens your load. Sometimes you can't get the help you think you need, but by taking the help you can get you can still come out ahead.
Contrary to certain relatives' take on this, I am not a lady of leisure- Carol can I deck your relatives for you. Your life has been a brave struggle since you were a little girl. You never asked for what you could do yourself. Not the time to worry about the opinions of "certain relatives"
Amen! Doneit....Carol, you cannot be serious that any one would ever say you are a lady of leisure...You use crutches to get about, for heaven's sake. You deserve all the help you can get, bless your sweet heart. Let me throw the second punch after doneit decks them.
WoW!!! The comment came when I demanded they come get the scooter they gave Dh behind my back, and after being told he could not have it! (Road capable and driving issues). I had pushed because they'd promised to come two days before and hadn't showed. I offered to get rid of it otherwise. I wasn't respectful of the fact that the sisrer who had the van to get it with, was working 10hr. days. And yes she did phrase it that way.
We've had our aide for 3 mos. now and it is working out. Now I've run into a new situation--want to know if anyone has experienced this. Most of the aides here are from out of the country and when they go home on vacation, they take about a month off. I had spoken to the agency owner awhile back and was assured that she would send a replacement for that period. Yesterday, the aide mentioned that the owner is having a hard time coming up with people--everyone wants off at the same time. Well, when I worked for the gov't, we were told there had to be enough people at all times for "coverage" and some were denied vacation at certain times--I guess that may not happen in the agency business. Anyway, I'm thinking I need to have a Plan B, in case this happens or if a substitute is only available for part of the hours. Has anyone run into this issue?
no marilyn. not normal i think the agency should be be prepared for vacation time. it must be a small agency not to have enough caregivers on staff. you may try to use the ploy of calling the agency back and say you will have to call another agency to split time with now so this doesnt happen again? they wont want to lose your business. if nothing else getting two agencies to service your needs helps to have availablity at all times.? its what i would do i guess. divvi
I spoke with the Agency owner and she says she does have a backup lined up. Just to be safe, today I visited yet another adult daycare program, completed the paperwork, and set things up so my husband can start as soon as he has the TB test. I had been wanting to give this daycare a try (would be the third one, three strikes and this idea is out)! So now I have Plan B in place for a quick solution if I run into an aide problem.
I've not read all of these posts. Just my own experience, I've had more success with caregivers that are hired for 24 hours or more (for get away to family) that are men for my husband, Not women. He gives the gals a hard time. He can relate to the men. They are also more able to defend themselves and lift him when necessary.