I have to call agencies to hire a part-time (20 hours a week) caregiver/companion for my dad. What do I look for? If I'm at work when the person is here, how do I know she/he is doing a good job? My dad doesn't want anyone in the house and he's going to complain no matter who is there. Any suggestions for hiring someone?

Ok Kelly I found what you were talking about quite by accident just now. Ill bring it to the attention of Rich so he can update those tax pages
Thank you for bringing it to our attention

Actually, the article which Rich/Casey cites, "Choosing In-Home Care Assistance", is still there. The URL is http://www.ec-online.net/Knowledge/Articles/homeaide.html

It looks pretty helpful. In fact I'll be going to give it a read, myself. From time to time I sure could use more help than I currently have.

Good luck!

Welcome in Kelly Glad you found us
Im not quite sure what you were looking at on these 2 links but what I can tell you is this is an old thread from 2002 so if there was info it would be outdated and changed anyhow.
What exactly are you looking for maybe we can help you find something in particular?

quote:

Originally posted by Casey:
Take a look at our Homecare & Independent Livign Channel at http://www.ec-online.net/homechannel.htm

In particualr, we have an article called Choosing In-Home Care Assistance that has plenty of suggestions.

Let us know how you fare...

Rich/Casey

Unfortunately, the IRS info cited is no longer available:

Hi Margaret -

I have 2 caretakers for my Mom. One is from an agency and the other I found through our local Senior Services organization (she is self-employed).

I have also seen a lot of people post on the bulletin board at the local Senior Center looking for companions for themeselves or their LO's. Someone to read to them, help prepare meals, accompany them to appointments. Knowing how difficult it was for me to find people, I know there's quite a need out there for people who need help at home.

And both caretakers I have seem content with their choice of employment. One prefers the security of working for an agency and the other prefers the independece that being self-employed gives her.

I think it's a great idea, and I wish you the best of luck!

Nancy

You have a lot of possible options open to you depending on what type of certification some places(NHs and Home Health Care Agencies e.g.) might require. Did the course you took certify you to work in those areas? Word of mouth is another way to go. I've had a couple job offers as a result of people knowing what my life has entailed the last several years. Perhaps there's someone in your circle of friends and acquaintances who might know of a person needing help. Again, though, I don't have a clue what type of certification would be needed in your state for some positions so I'd check that out first and see what's open to you. Good luck-let us know what you find out.

"Whatever tomorrow brings, I"ll be there-with open arms and open eyes"

These questions pertain to the need for hiring a caregiver. What would be the best way to go about finding a job as a caregiver?

I have been giving this some consideration. I am going to go to work soon and I have been trying to decide on what I want to do. As you all know, I have a lot of experience in the caregiving field. I also took a home health aide course.

Thanks for any help or suggestions. Margaret

Ellen,
Finding someone is a trial and error. You could start by asking what type of experiece the person has. Tell them what you are looking for. Yes it will be hard to check up on the person if you are at work, but if you have a neighbor or friend that can randomly stop in that will be helpful. My mother kept saying "I don't need a babysitter" and would try to fire the person we hired. We just told her not to listen to my mom and that my sister and I make all the final decisions. Some caregivers we liked, some we didn't. You just have to hope for the best.

You can also check with the local hospital. When my mother had surgery and we wanted someone with her all the time, we asked the hospital if they could recommend an agency. We ended up using the agency several times to have someone stay with my mom. Unless you need a nurse, a caregiver should be fine. The prices in the Phila area range from 10-15 dollars an hr.

Eileen, I can definitely relate to your concerns. We have a wonderful caretaker who stays with my mom when I am at work and on Saturdays (so that my husband and I have 1 day a week to spend together and out of the house). When I started out, I went to an agency that we had used previously to care for my dad. The cost was approximately $18.00 per hour, but, they had a supervising nurse come to the home to assess the situation and then they found someone that they thought was appropriate. All employees of the agency were thoroughly checked out and the agency provided them with training. Also, they emphasized that if the person they sent wasn't working out (for any reason), they would send a different person. There was no need to confront the individual working at the home, we could call the supervising nurse and there were no judgments made. They clearly understood that the least little thing could be a reason for a change. I would check with your local agency on aging to see if they have a list of agencies. Ours does and it was quite useful. As a post note, after we had used the agency for about 4 months, we realized that the costs were prohibitive and we knew that we needed to hire someone directly. As it turned out, the woman working for us through them, was able to do this. Of course, that's a whole different situation because then you are in the position to assure and are held responsible that the individual is in the country legally. You are also responsible to pay state and federal taxes and social security and unemployment. I don't want to scare you. This isn't that hard. It just requires some organization. The IRS and our state agencies have been very helpful in answering my questions. Anyway, good luck to you. I hope that all goes well.

Take a look at our Homecare & Independent Livign Channel at http://www.ec-online.net/homechannel.htm

In particualr, we have an article called Choosing In-Home Care Assistance that has plenty of suggestions.

Let us know how you fare...

Rich/Casey

The best thing to do is look for someone loving and caring. And check references. I can't stress this enough. I worked as a recuiter for a number of years. Checking out someones background is the only way to be fairly sure they are the kind of person you want in your home.

Vicki

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