This is a good question. I have been an in-home caregiver for a long time. I've worked for agencies but only take private work now. Recently I was contacted by a woman who is desperate to find care for her elderly, completely invalid mother with dementia. She wants an experienced, dependable, compassionate and competent CNA for the position. No payment for the work. Free room and board in the mother's apartment to assume the responsibility and care of her 24/7 is being offered. As a caregiver I come to expect that families will try to tug at my heart strings to get cheap care for their "loved one". After many times being taken advantage of by families, I've learned to let no amount of begging and pleading sway me where my pay is concerned. There's an old saying, 'You get what you pay for'. Yet, so many families want the very best of care for nothing or next to it. This woman was rather put out by me telling her this. Maybe this woman can find an abbey to drop her mother off at where Catholic nuns will provide her care for free Or check local homeless shelters for someone to provide her mom's care for room and board with no pay. Maybe she'll get lucky. Not likely she'll find free care anywhere else. Know your worth caregivers. We make your life possible. We make it possible for you to hold a job, have a life, go on vacation, because we take the responsibility and misery of caring for your elderly "loved one" so you don't have to. We deserve to get paid for this and paid decently for it. In-home caregivers like me save you and your family a fortune because no matter how well you pay us, it's nowhere near what you'd be paying out for a nursing home or assisted living facility.
Many people do not have the money to get the care for their elder that is needed; that doesn't mean that you, doing the word, do not need, deserve and should get a living wage.
This is the dilemma, and this is why so many end in care in institutions. It's very sad and more and more a fact of life as we are forced to live ever longer with ever less.
So you get room and board? That's the most basic needs met. What about some money to pay for a haircut? Or a meal out? Or the car payment? It goes far beyond a room and food.
Even slaves were paid. Even the lowliest servant on an English manor got paid. Granted, not much, but they got something.
After caring for my Mom, I respected CNAs and felt they are not paid enough. As you said, u get what u pay for.
Have you at least made an appointment with an eldercare attorney to draw up a contract so that you get paid?
One of your posts said that your parents are saving their money to pass on to children and grandchildren. And here you are, doing all the work.
Stand up for yourself. I would tell them that you need to pay your bills too. I would stop the sob story in its tracks.
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