How did it work out and what was the ball park cost? My mother has dementia. She is age 86. She has been in and out of the hospital but is now in a palliative care unit arriving from a nursing home. Her meds appear to be controlled now and her demeanor is much calmer now. I do not want to send her back to a nursing home. I want to bring her home. However, I will need help and am looking more for a free-lance person. I know that we have to get referrals, background checks, etc. Hospice will teach me how to administer meds and I will be here when she needs to be turned in the bed. She is not ambulatory. This is would be the first time I have ever considered this and I'm reluctant. She has improved so much in palliative care that I want to try this.
Any help would be appreciated!
Hospice service is allowing me to spend time with her as a daughter not as a nurse. It is a delight to have that freedom, and I strongly suggest that you try it longer before making such a life changing decision. Please talk to the social worker and the pastor at Hospice who will help you see the reality of the 24/7 work.
Ask your local MDs, home health and hospice agencies for a list of local
independent home care companion providers and check with actual referrals.
It is possible if all cooperate and the home worker does their own taxes and
passes the tests of many known local happy referrals.
I agree with the others. If you bring her home you may be taking on far more than you realize. Hiring help can be hard. If she's receiving hospice care now, the facility will coordinate with hospice and you can relax and be the loving daughter that your mother needs now rather than a completely exhausted caregiver. Unless you already know someone you can count on 100% to help you at home, I think you're better off leaving her where she is.
Please keep us posted. We'd like to know how you are handling this.
Carol
on another hand, I've heard and seen caregiving horror stories for "agency help". And, many caregivers aren't like me - I would do ANYTHING for my parents. My dad was Not non-ambulatory or demented, and he was not a big man, and I am strong from a lifetime of handling horses and heavy hay bales, as well as I had immense CARE for my wonderful special parents. Now that my parents are gone - and my middle name is compassion and empathy - I would very much like word-of-mouth freelance caregiving positions, like thru our church, etc. It's very hard to find, in this day-n-age. God knows, I care - am compassionate, empathetic, honest, ethical, integrous - and took the caregiving classes to be a better caregiver for my parents. I do not keep up with "State requirements" for yearly fees (revenue to the State), etc. - so wouldn't be able to work thru agencies... as I said, I've seen horror stories thru agencies. Further, my dad had the good karma for a truly wonderful retired Adventist RN in 1965-8, to live-in with my grandfather, across the street from us - she was freelance and worked 24/6, just got the one day a week off. She was so terrific, my grandfather actually proposed to her (and she came to my dad and said "I think U should know..., and of course I said no.") She was just a true ethical honest gem... those were different times - but I do still reflect those ethics, and would love for word-of-mouth freelance, IF it was available.