My grandmother is 90 and currently has her 53 year old son living with her who is not a great caregiver. He is showing signs of mental illness himself and frankly, we're all worried about her safety. Grandma currently gets no outside support for any sort of caregiving and her only income is social security. She has no assets. I am currently working toward becoming a nurse and could potentially move her into my home. I am looking into obtaining outside caregiving work, but am wondering if there's a possibility to receive support to be her caregiver. It would help us both and I'd know she was being looked after safely by someone who loves her. Are there programs that offer funding for this?
At 90 granny may need an ALF.
Others can better respond as to support available, but, any support you can find, will be MUCH lower pay than nursing.
If she is eligible for support, and depending on her needs a NH or ALF or a non family member caregiver may be best for all of you.
Peruse this site and see the number of people who are miserable because they put their life on hold in order to be a caregiver. Some have become very embittered.
Best of luck to you
L
Is her son currently getting paid to provide care? How does he support himself? What will happen to him if Gram moves out? Are they living in her home, an apartment, what?
If no outside financial aid were available and Gram moved in with you, and she paid you all of her SS check except for a personal allowance (say $90 which is the high end of what states allow), would that be enough for you both to live on? I'd guess not, unless she gets a whole lot more than my mother does. But if you are her 24/7 caregiver you wouldn't be able to work. I guess that is where the idea of financial aid comes in.
If Gram gets on Medicaid, and it sounds like she could, and moved in with you, she could pay you most of her SS check and if the state determines she is eligible for in-home help for a certain number of hours a week you may be able to get paid that. (Some states do allow that. Here they have you go through one of their approved agencies.) But they never approve 24 hours a day. And the rate is not extremely high.
So, financially you MIGHT be able to make it without another job on her SS and some pay for in-home help. Or she might be able to go to a day health program so you could work and then come home to care for her.
But ... you will still need to figure out how to have a life outside of caregiving. If you provide caregiving in a private home or in a facility, you are done at the end of your shift. You can date or hang out with friends or study or go to a concert or just collapse on the couch. If you are caring from Gram 24/7 you are in a very different situation.
You want to take care of people as a profession. You love your grandmother. Gram needs someone to take care of her. So the idea of you taking care of grandmother seems logical and appealing. But the practical reality is that you may do more good for both of you by advocating for Gram and overseeing her care in a facility or where she currently lives than by actually doing full-time caregiving yourself.
Keep up informed about what you decide to do and how it is working out. We care!
And who is goin to pay your Ss tax, disability, etc? What if u get sick?
There's just so many ways this could fall apart.
Plus you could be liable for who knows what. Just go get a rregular job elsewhere, and spend Sunday afternoon taking GMO out for a late lunch or bring it to her.
I am unpaid caregiver for my parents. I would never do this again (if I had the.choice).