Anyone else having this problem? I just want to gather some information, get ducks in a row. I went on care.com and they even ask if you are ready or just looking into the service ( I chose that option) answered a few questions and read through the various offerings, some resumes and what to expect cost wise. Great...not! I am now being bombarded with emails, reminders to purchase the premium plan , applicants and coupon codes for various services through them.
If they truly are compassionate then they need to respect how much is on our plate as caregivers and not make it worse with marketing blasts.
Hire through an agency.
Taxes are taken care of, Workers comp taken care of and there are many caregivers that are available so if one does not work out or calls in sick you can contact the agency and they will send another.
Private Hire.
You have to pay taxes, make sure you have insurance that will cover injuries and plan on hiring more than 1 to cover different days and hours if necessary.
One of the disadvantage of hiring through an agency is if the person needs medication an agency will not usually allow a "caregiver" to administer medication they would charge you for a nurse (if you are unable to administer at any time)
Private hire you can ask the caregiver to give a medication. (I would allow my caregiver to give only oral meds if any other medication was needed I would do that. (thankfully never had to inject)
There is more "freedom" in hiring privately. But you do have to do background checks. And background checks only flag if a person has been convicted it will not show if they have been arrested and charged. So even with a "clean" background check there might be problems.
my neighbor is a judge and she’s provided some sage advice as well on the security issues - such as conducting interviews off-site until I find the right person. Give the impression of a modest comfortable home, ‘a con artist is going to take one look at your house and say or do whatever it takes to get in’. It’s so sad that you have to think about such things Even suggests a completely separate internet connection so you don’t have to provide access to your network- I would never have thought of that.
I would be happy to get someone that can train me as well - I haven’t a clue about how to assist with mobility problems and getting him on his feet when he’s having a freezing episode. He was having problems getting settled in his bed the other night and we looked like the Chinese Acrobats. I laugh about it, but worry that I could injure him, me or both. There are classes for caregivers, but this virus has everything shut down right now - what an awful time.
thank you again
cheers
dd
Again, these are not forum members. These are ads on the right side of the page.
Advertising is a part of living in the United States of America. As someone who wants to grind my teeth with every roto-call I get I understand how annoying it all is. But the truth is that there are folks out there who can help you. They may not be for you after you get all the information from them, but then you can simply ask them not to call.
You know what I do at this point? I have a phone message that says "Hi, this is Alvadeer. I don't answer my phone unless I know you. At the beep please tell me who you are and if I am home I will answer at once.". They hang up on that one and I am home free.
ALL that said, there are great things out there for Seniors who are exploring. My bro made use of "A Place for Mom" and they took him all around looking at various options, helping him explore what was important to him, asking him "What is important to you? Chef quality dining? Great outdoor Grounds to explore? Going on van trips to Movies, and etc. Do you like larger apartment buildings or cottages", and so on and so on. Yes, they ALSO asked what problems he had, what limits, what needs, and that question we ALL HATE SO MUCH which is "What assets do you have for your care".
There are other groups that have home care. They are often helpful and if not for you can often recommend who might be. For instance Visiting Angels wasn't for my bro. Didn't need the minimun hours they wanted you to sign for. But did give other ideas for his area. We quite kind.
Sorry you experienced this. If you don't want to explore the ads avoid that right side of the page. And best wishes.
we have a fantastic and well funded senior center here in Palm
Springs, but the doggone Covid has everything either closed or very limited access right now.
my frustration is that I felt that I had clearly chosen the option that I was perusing the site information and I am getting applications, it’s not my nature to leave someone hanging so on top of all I am dealing with, I have to respond to applicants and say ‘maybe, but not yet’.
meh, wake up and smell the coffee Mabel, in the whole scheme of things, this is a minor inconvenience
thank you for the suggestion and I will check the Ca dept on aging site for suggestions
best
david
there are many videos that you can search for (YouTube is actually pretty informative sometimes)
Look for how to use a Gait Belt.
I will advise one thing, even though you will see videos on how to help someone up if they fall....Don't do it. Call 911 and ask for a "Lift Assist" if there is no transport to the hospital in most cases there is no charge for the Lift Assist. Calling will bring people that have been trained to do this. They will prevent you from getting hurt trying to lift someone and they will avoid injury to the person that has fallen.
There are videos on how to "help some fall" if you are walking with someone you can safely and gently help / guide them down.
There are videos on how to use different types of equipment from a Sit to Stand to a Hoyer Lift. Videos on how to change bed sheets with someone in the bed. If you need to know how to do something I am sure there is a video about it.