Are you sure you want to exit? Your progress will be lost.
Who are you caring for?
Which best describes their mobility?
How well are they maintaining their hygiene?
How are they managing their medications?
Does their living environment pose any safety concerns?
Fall risks, spoiled food, or other threats to wellbeing
Are they experiencing any memory loss?
Which best describes your loved one's social life?
Acknowledgment of Disclosures and Authorization
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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I acknowledge and authorize
✔
I consent to the collection of my consumer health data.*
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I consent to the sharing of my consumer health data with qualified home care agencies.*
*If I am consenting on behalf of someone else, I have the proper authorization to do so. By clicking Get My Results, you agree to our Privacy Policy. You also consent to receive calls and texts, which may be autodialed, from us and our customer communities. Your consent is not a condition to using our service. Please visit our Terms of Use. for information about our privacy practices.
Mostly Independent
Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
Remember, this assessment is not a substitute for professional advice.
Share a few details and we will match you to trusted home care in your area:
If you mean " private" as in a self employed person who presents themselves as a " caregiver" you will be taking a big risk and, you will be accountable for all of the " HR" aspects of employing some one in the home. You also risk the person not showing up as scheduled and having to deal with finding a replacement.
Option B: have your parents assessed by their PCP for " level of care needs", have a licensed social worker or Geriatric case mgr assigned to them by PCP ; they can help you navigate the " level of care needs assessment" with home care options.
Contact your County and ask for Senior Services Dept. Talk with social worker(s). Call agencies and ask how they vet their employees.
Perhaps contact nursing homes / elder care facilities and ask if they have a list of caregivers. They may not share with you - or they might.
Try Next Door, Facebook, etc. Ask around - churches, your networks
Do have a list of questions ready to go such as: experience references (then check them) how would you handle xxx (give a scenario and see how they would handle) What makes you a good caregiver? What do you do (ie cook vs heating up meals), laundry, cleaning. Are they dependable: on time? tell them this is required. Are they CNA? (Certified Nursing Assistant). While not necessary, it does show training / education / experience and initiative to take that training.
You can also hire through IHSS if the elder qualifies. Be sure to check references.
Many people 'caregiving' are not trained well and are doing this work because it is the only work they can get (generally due to non-little English speaking). Conversely, there are some excellent caregivers. You have to ask and then see how they do.
Do supervise and check the first 1-2-3 weeks. Give them input and guidance. Do not presume they know what to do / what you need. Let them know you will work with them (and 'supervise' as needed)
The key is how you interview. Many / some lie. Some will say they cannot disclose references due to HIPPA laws. This is NOT true. They can provide references and if a person doesn't, do not hire them. They are hiding / something with this false response.
I'd advise against using sites such as Care.com - they don't vet their listens and don't have a system in place other than to call, email and text incessantly until they're blocked. Speaking from personal experience! I love the community College suggestion and will use that in my professional & personal capacity!
Prior to using care dot com, do your very best research. Read ALL of their terms of service. For one thing they do not offer refunds, if you are not satisfied with their service. Also, their online site appears as though you get to interview or select the caregiver you see on that site - not so. You only get to select those who respond to your needs, and, in my case, there were applications from other states, as far away as a couple hundred miles, even though I indicated only applicants within ten miles. Dig deeply prior to committing.
2 of the best Caregivers I hired I found by contacting my local Community College. The College has a Nursing program and in my State one of the requirements is that a nursing student has to complete a CNA certification. I contacted the head of the program and explained that I wanted to hire 2 caregivers. I talked to several and the 2 were both waiting for the Nursing School semester to begin. I told them both I would work around their schedule. So if you have a Community College near you try that. You should still do background checks. But since the students do clinical time in local facilities they typically have done fingerprinting and background checks so it might not be necessary.
I also suggest not 1 caregiver but 2 so that there is always coverage if one can't come in. Also please make sure you hire legally. File taxes, do not "pay under the table" this may be very important if you ever have to begin application for Medicaid, this shows that their assets were used for their care. DO NOT use YOUR assets to pay for their care.
You contact agencies in your area. Private care is usually word of mouth. My township VNA has a list of private caregivers. They don't vet these people, thats up to the employer. Call your doctors office. I think its care.com that aides post to.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
Option B: have your parents assessed by their PCP for " level of care needs", have a licensed social worker or Geriatric case mgr assigned to them by PCP ; they can help you navigate the " level of care needs assessment" with home care options.
Talk with social worker(s).
Call agencies and ask how they vet their employees.
Perhaps contact nursing homes / elder care facilities and ask if they have a list of caregivers. They may not share with you - or they might.
Try Next Door, Facebook, etc.
Ask around - churches, your networks
Do have a list of questions ready to go such as:
experience
references (then check them)
how would you handle xxx (give a scenario and see how they would handle)
What makes you a good caregiver?
What do you do (ie cook vs heating up meals), laundry, cleaning.
Are they dependable: on time? tell them this is required.
Are they CNA? (Certified Nursing Assistant). While not necessary, it does show training / education / experience and initiative to take that training.
You can also hire through IHSS if the elder qualifies.
Be sure to check references.
Many people 'caregiving' are not trained well and are doing this work because it is the only work they can get (generally due to non-little English speaking). Conversely, there are some excellent caregivers.
You have to ask and then see how they do.
Do supervise and check the first 1-2-3 weeks.
Give them input and guidance.
Do not presume they know what to do / what you need.
Let them know you will work with them (and 'supervise' as needed)
The key is how you interview.
Many / some lie.
Some will say they cannot disclose references due to HIPPA laws. This is NOT true. They can provide references and if a person doesn't, do not hire them.
They are hiding / something with this false response.
Gena / Touch Matters
I contacted the head of the program and explained that I wanted to hire 2 caregivers. I talked to several and the 2 were both waiting for the Nursing School semester to begin. I told them both I would work around their schedule.
So if you have a Community College near you try that.
You should still do background checks. But since the students do clinical time in local facilities they typically have done fingerprinting and background checks so it might not be necessary.
I also suggest not 1 caregiver but 2 so that there is always coverage if one can't come in.
Also please make sure you hire legally. File taxes, do not "pay under the table" this may be very important if you ever have to begin application for Medicaid, this shows that their assets were used for their care.
DO NOT use YOUR assets to pay for their care.