How much Should Good Temporary At Home Care For A Senior Cost?

August 21, 2015 3:55 PM

My mom is struggling with a heart problem. She is not married and none of her children live in the same state. I want to get her signed up for a service that can help out when an incident crops up so she does not have to rely on friends and neighbors in emergencies. I've never dealt with anything like this before and I'm looking for advice about how to help her choose and engage a service.

For the past year my Mom has been experiencing problems with her heart. She has tried a variety of medications and procedures to manage the problem but so far she is still having occasional, unexplained issues that put her flat on her back, unable to care for herself, drive, cook, or clean. She is positive a cure is just around the corner so she doesn't plan ahead, and is always caught at a loss when stuff happens. Calling me to drop everything and come out to help her is her only plan so far.

The Tricky Stuff
She has a limited income.
She is in a bit of denial about what is going on.
It is very hard for her to accept input or suggestions from me. Understandably, her illness has frightened her, and she sometimes reacts with aggression and verbal attacks when I try to talk over her options with her. Because of this I'd like to have a really good idea of what's involved and a game plan, before I try to bring the subject up again.

SO...

Any advice about At Home Temporary Senior Health Care, how to find it, what to look for, how much it costs, etc. etc. is much appreciated. I've found lots of places by googling but none list prices and most seem to want you to come in to have a counseling session with them which isn't an option given my Mom's state of mind at the moment.

Thank you MeFi

posted by WalkerWestridge to Human Relations (8 answers total)

It's important to, if you can, find a service that is licensed and accredited. The majority of these operators, and this includes franchises like Nurse Next Door, are not.

You're going to want to want to take a look at who the supervisors are and what their training is like. Do they have a nursing background, for example? What are the reviews saying?

Unfortunately, most of the time the better-qualified services are more expensive. Local health authorities, however, will offer cheaper services, and you may receive a means-based rebate of some kind.

There may also be volunteer organizations that provide companionship services to seniors.

I do marketing for a small Canadian-based home healthcare service, and I have sat on the board of a non-profit that delivers, with a minimal amount of operational funding from a local health authority, services to seniors.

The thing is that the quality of the services is pretty low and typically unregulated. The client I work with (just in specific markets in Canada, not the US) has a "premium" model. But compared to other premium competitors (typically located in both US and Canada) they actually have a standards-based approach to care, and to hiring caregivers.
posted by Nevin at 4:20 PM on August 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

I hate to be negative but over and over I have heard terrible stories about aide services, state agencies, etc. Theft, poor care, etc.
If it were me I would go to the local senior center and see if there was a senior willing to help her an hour a day. So many seniors are perfectly capable but have no children/grandchildren near.
Many seniors could use a bit of extra money, too. There is also the benefit of it being a local person and possible a peer with something in common.

I dont know the legal-y stuff but I have thought it would be what I would try if my mom needed help.

Good luck to you and your mom!
posted by ReluctantViking at 4:24 PM on August 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Different levels of care and credentials cost different amounts. You can work with a non-profit like Seniors Helping Seniors who will come over, do some light chores, maybe drive her to the store for like 10$/hr. Or you could hire someone off Care.com who is just essentially a seniors babysitter who is trained maybe in social work who wil be able to help her do more tricky stuff like remember which pills to take for like 15$/hr. Or you could use a service accredited by your state like Home Instead who could send someone with some medical training for maybe 30$/hr. It all depends on what she needs. I have used all of these services and they are work fine.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 4:37 PM on August 21, 2015 [6 favorites]

Have you checked in with her Medicare coverage, for home health aide possibilities?
posted by Iris Gambol at 5:31 PM on August 21, 2015 [2 favorites]

Potomac's numbers are pretty much spot-on in the SF Bay Area.
posted by ryanrs at 5:38 PM on August 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

I just started working for a home health agency in the rural Northeast. Our cash fees are $160 for a nurse visit and $26/hour for a home health aide.
posted by shiny blue object at 6:37 PM on August 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

Her doc can prescribe home health. It is free, basically under medicare. The doc should know some good providers. After medicare plays out, a CNA can visit for about $15 per hour to bathe her and do light duty.
posted by Oyéah at 9:07 PM on August 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

I suggest two strategies, which can hopefully converge at a place that will be helpful to your mom.

I suggest speaking with her doctor to assess her health problems and limitations. Your mom's defecits need to be very specific and fit within Medicare guidelines in order to qualify for any care whatsoever on Medicare's dime. I would not count on Medicare without a recent hospitalization or a documented disability requiring assistance with ADLs - Activities of Daily Living - basically washing, toileting, food prep. My dad was just discharged from an acute rehab after a stroke. He got exactly 10 days in the facility, no matter he would have benefitted from longer. He now gets home therapy three times a week, despite 5 days a week (or 7 days a week) being better. Medicare is a bitch, especially when your mom's problems seem vague, and not specifically realted to a hospitalization. Keep in mind that any of these services need to be ordered by a physician to qualify for Medicare payment.

A more helpful approach would be to contact a local (to your mom) organization for the aging. They will know the regulations inside and out, and will know what sort of local assistance is available in your mom's area. Lots of organizations work to cobble together programs to help seniors, often non-profit organizations and sometimes with volunteer professionals, like nurses or social workers. They are used to out-of-town children contacting them with all kinds of worries about their parents, and will definitely not see dollar signs in their eyes. They are mostly wonderful people who see an important need and try to fill it.
posted by citygirl at 7:43 PM on August 22, 2015 [1 favorite]