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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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My mother was recently released from the nursing home, and a lot of the caregivers are late, don't call in, or show up with cold symptoms. She finally has found a good caregiver. Does anyone else have these problems?
Yes, and that is why I eventually had to find an assisted living home for my mom. The pay for home caregivers is not good and they quite often have many problems of their own, which is understandable, but very difficult to work around. The dependable caregivers are absolute angels. So treat them well, or better than well.
I was an in-home caregiver for 25 years and am now in the business. So I'll explain.
Number one, the caregiver probably has other clients before your mother and sometimes getting from point A to point B may take a few minutes longer than other times. Also, the care agency is supposed allow for adequate travel time between a caregiver's clients. This way no one is "late" and no one needs to stand at the door with a stop watch in one hand and the phone in the other complaining to the agency if someone is 10 seconds late.
Number two, the agency is responsible for calling the client (or their representative) to inform them that their regular caregiver is going to be out. The agency is also responsible for finding a fill-in to cover the shift. Granted, most of the time this does not happen and sometimes even I get stuck covering for a caregiver if there's no available fill-in and I'm the boss. Though how I run things is the exception rather than the rule in the homecare business. Clients and caregivers are not supposed to communicate outside of the caregiver's paid hours. Caregivers usually get fired if they give their phone numbers or email addresses out to clients. The agency who they work for handles it.
Number three. The caregivers are showing up woth cold symptoms because being a homecare worker is a hard, low-paying, crappy job with no benefits and no job security. Like I said, I did it for 25 years. I never had an agency position with paid sick time or insurance benefits. So the caregiver comes to work sick because they can't afford to lose pay.
I hope I've shed some light on the lives of in-home caregivers. The problems are usually not their fault. The fault usually lies with the homecare agency that employs them or the clients themselves.
Yes, it's just goes with the territory. I was PoA for my 2 elderly Aunts is a distant state (I grew up with them so they were like other mothers to me). When it came time to hire in-home help I went through a reputable agency that I vetted as best I could. I even met the owner, who was in the process of caring for his own elderly Mom.
I had to go through at least 3 "losers" until I we hit the jackpot with a most excellent person who came 30 hrs a week for 6 years. But this was about 10 years ago and now between the economy and the labor shortage, I'm not sure how much worse it's gotten. All I can recommend is to keep your standards high but reasonable, and to communicate clearly and respectfully and have tempered expectations that each on who shows up is in a probationary period of testing before you consider them the right one.
I'm glad you found 1 good one. Personally I would look for a second one as well -- especially if you are privately hiring you will need a sub for your primary person's sick days and vacations (or split the hours between the 2 so they are incentivized to stay). Good people know they are good but they aren't in it for charity so they need as many consistent weekly hours as possible. I think a minimum of 25 to 30 to keep the good ones.
Really, Geaton "losers"? I find in my most extensive experience as one of those "losers" for 25 years and now being the employer of such "losers", that when these "losers" get paid a decent wage, are offered some benefit (even small ones like half pay when clients cancel or the caregiver is out sick), and work for an agency (and clients) who have some respect for them and what they do, these "losers" end up being winners and the best in this field.
The real "losers" here are usually the overly greedy homecare agencies that employ these people and offer zero training or support. They are seen as little more than garbage. Clients and their families often expect too much from their homecare aide. They often have impossible expectations and think the caregiver is supposed to perform miracles for their "loved one". Most of the time these families can barely stand to be in the same room with their "loved one" but they want those miracles. They expect the caregiver to not only make the client's home immaculate and keep it that way, they also want all the errands run, all the meals prepared, and that caregiver better also be a good entertainer who keeps the client engaged and happy at all times.
Somehow I just get the feeling that in your homecare experience, you didn't keep your standards 'reasonable'.
This is, yes, a very common problem as you can imagine. It is often one reason that home care is so impossible. When you think of it this is the same problem for working parents who have children dependent on nannies and care workers, and is a major reason for many sick calls in our country. The very young and the very old suffer the same fates in these instances.
You are lucky your mom finally found an aide whom she is happy with.
I agree with most that has been said below. It’s a difficult, low-paid job with no benefits and hardly any opportunity to lead to something more. In my area, I think they start around $16 or $18/hour as the rest goes to the agency. I honestly don’t think I could deal with the job myself for even ten times that.
My MIL fired aides for ridiculous things — cutting the sandwiches the “wrong” way or not folding the blankets and sheets the way she liked. And she accused them of stealing things which they did not do.
Im not saying your mom is like this. Only that the aides get all kinds of clients and it’s got to be a very, very tough way to make a living.
PS my dad (who had dementia) just hated the aides, period. He was sometimes hostile and almost always uncooperative with bathing, grooming, eating, letting them clean his room or change his bed sheets, changing his filthy clothes, having his blood pressure checked, or even getting up off the floor when he fell. He would sometimes yell at them to leave him there. And then my mom asked hers to do tasks that really are not part of the job, like scrub mold out of her washing machine or pull up poison ivy in her yard.
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.
It's up to the homecare agency they work for to treat them well first.
Number one, the caregiver probably has other clients before your mother and sometimes getting from point A to point B may take a few minutes longer than other times. Also, the care agency is supposed allow for adequate travel time between a caregiver's clients. This way no one is "late" and no one needs to stand at the door with a stop watch in one hand and the phone in the other complaining to the agency if someone is 10 seconds late.
Number two, the agency is responsible for calling the client (or their representative) to inform them that their regular caregiver is going to be out. The agency is also responsible for finding a fill-in to cover the shift. Granted, most of the time this does not happen and sometimes even I get stuck covering for a caregiver if there's no available fill-in and I'm the boss. Though how I run things is the exception rather than the rule in the homecare business. Clients and caregivers are not supposed to communicate outside of the caregiver's paid hours. Caregivers usually get fired if they give their phone numbers or email addresses out to clients. The agency who they work for handles it.
Number three. The caregivers are showing up woth cold symptoms because being a homecare worker is a hard, low-paying, crappy job with no benefits and no job security. Like I said, I did it for 25 years. I never had an agency position with paid sick time or insurance benefits. So the caregiver comes to work sick because they can't afford to lose pay.
I hope I've shed some light on the lives of in-home caregivers. The problems are usually not their fault. The fault usually lies with the homecare agency that employs them or the clients themselves.
I had to go through at least 3 "losers" until I we hit the jackpot with a most excellent person who came 30 hrs a week for 6 years. But this was about 10 years ago and now between the economy and the labor shortage, I'm not sure how much worse it's gotten. All I can recommend is to keep your standards high but reasonable, and to communicate clearly and respectfully and have tempered expectations that each on who shows up is in a probationary period of testing before you consider them the right one.
I'm glad you found 1 good one. Personally I would look for a second one as well -- especially if you are privately hiring you will need a sub for your primary person's sick days and vacations (or split the hours between the 2 so they are incentivized to stay). Good people know they are good but they aren't in it for charity so they need as many consistent weekly hours as possible. I think a minimum of 25 to 30 to keep the good ones.
The real "losers" here are usually the overly greedy homecare agencies that employ these people and offer zero training or support. They are seen as little more than garbage. Clients and their families often expect too much from their homecare aide. They often have impossible expectations and think the caregiver is supposed to perform miracles for their "loved one". Most of the time these families can barely stand to be in the same room with their "loved one" but they want those miracles. They expect the caregiver to not only make the client's home immaculate and keep it that way, they also want all the errands run, all the meals prepared, and that caregiver better also be a good entertainer who keeps the client engaged and happy at all times.
Somehow I just get the feeling that in your homecare experience, you didn't keep your standards 'reasonable'.
It is often one reason that home care is so impossible.
When you think of it this is the same problem for working parents who have children dependent on nannies and care workers, and is a major reason for many sick calls in our country. The very young and the very old suffer the same fates in these instances.
I agree with most that has been said below. It’s a difficult, low-paid job with no benefits and hardly any opportunity to lead to something more. In my area, I think they start around $16 or $18/hour as the rest goes to the agency. I honestly don’t think I could deal with the job myself for even ten times that.
My MIL fired aides for ridiculous things — cutting the sandwiches the “wrong” way or not folding the blankets and sheets the way she liked. And she accused them of stealing things which they did not do.
Im not saying your mom is like this. Only that the aides get all kinds of clients and it’s got to be a very, very tough way to make a living.