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Since December of 2018, I have had 24/7 caregivers for my husband that work in 12 hr shifts. His condition is not severe, but I have a 103 yr old mother in a facility & a business to check on daily, so I have to be able to leave immediately if called. I have only been happy with 3 of the many, many people they have sent, because they are the only ones who are still coming & have developed a relationship with him. The people who hire & schedule can’t seem to understand the personality type he needs no matter how much I try to explain. Most have never been caregivers before nor can they cook. One 21 yr old panicked when I asked her to make a salad while I was away!!! Any suggestions or reports on companies or how to privately hire would be so appreciated!

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Finding the perfect fit for every shift is a nice thought but it isn't always practical or possible, an agency has a pool of caregivers who all have their own preferences and availability and must try to match them to clients whose needs and hours are varied, this is no easy task! It wasn't until my mom's regular caregiver retired that I realized she had been exceptional, I just assumed that her competence was par for the course. Soon before I made the decision to place my mom in a facility, when my mom was 90% helpless and I myself was physically struggling with the task, I was sent a woman to help with her shower who was 75 if she was a day and looked as though she needed help herself... the agency got defensive when I called to ask what they were thinking. (I will admit the woman got the job done, I guess experience counts for something!) I think sometimes we have to be satisfied that there is a warm body in the home who at the very least will do no harm.
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I remotely care for 2 seniors in FL (97 and 100). I've used a local Visiting Angels. Cut to chase: very very pleased but only after going through 3 Angels. Before I hired them I emailed and then called the franchise owner and manager who was a stellar man my age taking care of his own mother. Good and timely communication. That being said, the pool of available help is very small nowadays and they have trouble finding and keeping and incentivizing workers. I needed someone who was not of color because my aunt with dementia would say the most awful things (n-word, etc). She was never like that in her youth. They eventually sent a women in her 60's, Italian-American from the Bronx -- just like my aunts! A perfect match and she is great. Be patient and do interview the owners/admin people to see if they themselves are competent. Be specific about what skills are essential (if not hiring a medically-trained person). Be aware that even if your LO doesn't need medical help if she is a risk to fall those "companions/helpers" are not "rated" for even that type if care because it requires them to know some first aid. Just found this out. Good luck!
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aceypoo, you are correct, finding the right match is so very important.

Knock on wood, when my Dad needed around the clock caregivers, he had a couple of perfect matches for him. Dad was easy going and wanted someone who he could chat with and tell all of his stories, thus someone with a similar background as Dad.

As for cooking, to Dad it wasn't important just as long as something was on a plate in front of him. He'd be happy with a bowl of cereal for dinner [so do I as cooking is extremely stressful for me, science projects that go totally wrong]. Dad was happy with his favorite TV dinners, heck he was in his 90's so why not give him what he liked :) His day caregiver didn't like cooking, either, so she was thrilled to do the TV dinners, so she kept busy keeping the house looking neat and clean.

Dad's weekend day caregiver loved to cook from scratch, so she would make meals and set in the refrigerator dated for use.

I noticed the age of caregiver was important to Dad. Dad's two favorite caregivers were mature women who had cared for their own elderly parents. Dad wasn't fond of the younger generation caregivers, too glued to their cellphones, thus the lost art of actual human conversations.

What I did like about caregiving agencies was the fact they were licensed, bonded, insured, and had workman comp in case one of their employees got hurt on the job. They did all the payroll and payroll taxes. If a caregiver was running late, the previous caregiver had to wait before he/she could leave, or if there was a wide span of delay, then another caregiver would come to fill in. Dad was never without someone at his house. Even in the dead of winter, the owner of the local nationwide agency would drive the caregivers to their clients in his 4 wheel drive.

I had used Home Instead and would recommend them highly. There are also other fine nationwide agencies out there, too.

Oh, if you private hire, you would need to contact your homeowner's insurance carrier and purchase a "workman comp" policy for that person who is now "your employee".
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Thanks for the responses. Didn’t think about needing the workers comp if I decide to go the private route. I know nothing is perfect, but when I am paying 10K a month, I do expect to be satisfied. My husband is 75 & highly intelligent so I understand what you mean by the generational difference of communication. When a 21 yr old asks whether the Space Station is above or below the clouds, it’s a bit discouraging 😩
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