Who should we hire as a home health aid for my mom?
September 21, 2011 7:27 PM Subscribe
My mom needs a home health aid. She's in her late 60s and has MS. Any advice?
She falls a lot, seemingly always when no one else is around to help. We need someone to be around to help her during the day.
Do you have any advice in hiring someone? Go with an agency? Go with an individual? Any noteworthy experiences? My mom is very sociable, so is likely to get along with most people. But she's very particular about how things are done in her house. If it helps, she's in Southern Maine. Thank you.
She falls a lot, seemingly always when no one else is around to help. We need someone to be around to help her during the day.
Do you have any advice in hiring someone? Go with an agency? Go with an individual? Any noteworthy experiences? My mom is very sociable, so is likely to get along with most people. But she's very particular about how things are done in her house. If it helps, she's in Southern Maine. Thank you.
I would start with the "elder services" info on the main.gov website. Good luck.
posted by wherever, whatever at 7:55 PM on September 21, 2011
posted by wherever, whatever at 7:55 PM on September 21, 2011
Both of my parents have had 'homemakers' over the years: my Mom's MS meant that she had 6 hours a day of help (to get up, to go to bed and for basic cooking and cleaning). Then, when she had to go into a facility, my Dad needed the help, and now he gets a similar number of hours.
They went through an agency Bayshore Home Health which is pretty ubiquitous here in Canada; they may or may not be in the US, but something similar should exist. The workers do basic light housekeeping; laundry, shopping, that kind of thing. They also make meals and clean up, and help with grooming (she may not want someone to bathe her, but it's nice to have someone to help get you up in the morning, or put you in your pajamas and robe at night).
They're pretty good, on average, and many of the workers became friends as well as helpers. Not every person is ideal, of course -- there's a lamentable tendency to wash dishes without soap! -- and you get the odd person who just won't do anything.
Get on board with a good agency.
posted by jrochest at 8:37 PM on September 21, 2011
They went through an agency Bayshore Home Health which is pretty ubiquitous here in Canada; they may or may not be in the US, but something similar should exist. The workers do basic light housekeeping; laundry, shopping, that kind of thing. They also make meals and clean up, and help with grooming (she may not want someone to bathe her, but it's nice to have someone to help get you up in the morning, or put you in your pajamas and robe at night).
They're pretty good, on average, and many of the workers became friends as well as helpers. Not every person is ideal, of course -- there's a lamentable tendency to wash dishes without soap! -- and you get the odd person who just won't do anything.
Get on board with a good agency.
posted by jrochest at 8:37 PM on September 21, 2011
My parent had pretty good luck with an agency to help my grandmother (who had Alzheimer's) when my mom had to live her own life a bit during the day. Some people were better fits for her personality than others and my parents were able to ask for more time with the women she liked (women who would gently engage with her- she didn't like being ignored even when she didn't really know what was going on) and her favorite came to her funeral and sat with the family, she had become so close. There were a few duds along the way who were flaky or just not a good fit, but the agency was pretty good about working with the family's schedule and preferences. I think my parents went with the agency initially because it made things insurance, pay/taxes and scheduling/subs easier to deal with than they would have been with a private individual.
posted by charmedimsure at 9:18 PM on September 21, 2011
posted by charmedimsure at 9:18 PM on September 21, 2011
You don't mention if your mom has long-term care insurance. That will probably have a bearing on whether you go through an agency or not. Some LTC policies will only pay for a "formal caregiver" (i.e., through an agency) while others are more flexible.
Our experience (in Chicago) in getting a caregiver for my MIL is that going through an agency about doubles the cost; the very same people who work for the agency are only too willing to deal directly with you and bypass the agency because they get paid more that way.
The agencies with which we've worked, though, have been extremely responsive and eager to please. They have replaced caregivers my MIL didn't like, found substitutes to accommodate the caregiver's schedule, and had the caregiver ready at the drop of a hat when my MIL was released from a hospital, all without complaint.
They should have no problem with sending potential caregivers, at no cost, for your mom to meet and interview them.
posted by DrGail at 6:23 AM on September 22, 2011
Our experience (in Chicago) in getting a caregiver for my MIL is that going through an agency about doubles the cost; the very same people who work for the agency are only too willing to deal directly with you and bypass the agency because they get paid more that way.
The agencies with which we've worked, though, have been extremely responsive and eager to please. They have replaced caregivers my MIL didn't like, found substitutes to accommodate the caregiver's schedule, and had the caregiver ready at the drop of a hat when my MIL was released from a hospital, all without complaint.
They should have no problem with sending potential caregivers, at no cost, for your mom to meet and interview them.
posted by DrGail at 6:23 AM on September 22, 2011
Agencies are usually by far the better bet, as their employees are bonded, insured, and the agency takes care of all the taxes, paperwork, scheduling, screening and so on. If you hire a random person off of Craigslist you won't know who you are getting AND you will be stuck with all the paperwork and tax work (CHORES!).
In caring for elderly parents, I've had good luck with an agency that the hospital social worker referred me to. Your local Department of Aging and Adult Services or similar organization can offer referrals. If you know someone who uses an agency, ask them about the quality of the people they send.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 6:26 AM on September 22, 2011
In caring for elderly parents, I've had good luck with an agency that the hospital social worker referred me to. Your local Department of Aging and Adult Services or similar organization can offer referrals. If you know someone who uses an agency, ask them about the quality of the people they send.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 6:26 AM on September 22, 2011
Response by poster: Thank you everyone. This has been helpful.
posted by ifandonlyif at 4:35 PM on September 25, 2011
posted by ifandonlyif at 4:35 PM on September 25, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
I was also really surprised at how reasonable it was. We had someone come in three times a week for two hours (to provide bathing, light housework, check-ups on bandages, etc.) and it was absolutely worth doing.
posted by yellowcandy at 7:50 PM on September 21, 2011