I want to know what is fair as far as having someone live in with Mom so that someone is there at night. No need to get up, Mom does well, however, if getting up it would be nice to have her checked in. Help Mom with her breakfast (toast, cereal, coffee) get her newspaper and mail and dispense her medication. Open drapes. Keep personal space tidy (bathroom, bedroom) and help with keeping kitchen cleaned as it is used. Laundry, free wi-fi, garage, room and board and $250.00 stipend.
Secondly if this person establishes residency in the home and refuses to do the necessary assignments you have agreed upon you may have problems getting rid of them when the job is over Possibly having to go through eviction proceeding to get rid of them. Check what constitutes a resident in your state before proceeding. You may have to make a schedule that has them leave for a period of one or more days so that they can go to their own home and rest and assure they are not considered a resident in the eyes of the law. Other issues that can establish them as a resident are whether or not they are allowed to receive mail at that address.
I got curious about what people pay others to take care of their houses while they are on extended trips. It depends greatly on the location, but it seems somewhere between $20 and $50 per day is common, with discounts for longer periods.
Hmm ... is helping someone who has dementia get a cold breakfast together similar in effort to bringing in the paper and mail and watering plants? It seems more similar to me than to an actual caregiving job.
How feasible this is hinges a lot on the value of room and board, doesn't it? The "board" would only be valuable to someone who hung around and ate on the premises. For someone who plans to eat on campus (for example) that would not be a valuable payment. For someone just trying to get away to write a novel, that might be a great perk. And for whom would "room" be valuable? A student who would otherwise be paying for a dorm room. A person whose house has sold and who needs time to find another place or for builders to finish. A person new to the area who wants time to get to know the area before settling down.
I just know that this is a service a lot of people could use. I hope jlevy can make it work in a way fair to all parties. Keep us informed, would you jlevy? We learn from each other.
Be advised that if you pay beneath the going rate, the caregiver will likely move on as soon as they get a better offer, and one will eventually come along.
Even at $300, $400 or $500 a week these caregivers earn every cent.
If this overnight person is solely for someone to be there for the night with mom and they can work a regular job or go to school or write that novel, that is something else again. But, I would check with your accountant how the room and board need to be addressed for tax purposes, it would be considered income for that overnight person.
You need someone to be on the premises overnight and through breakfast, with no other duties than that. OK. That is very different than a live-in caregiver.
What are this person's hours? When does the last caregiver shift end? When could the person leave in the morning? It sounds like it might work for someone going to school. Are there any appropriate schools in your area?
I really don't know about a fair stipend, but I think this is a very interesting and legitimate question. Lots of people could get by in their own homes longer if they had someone there at night. Lots of people could take care of their parents longer if there was someone else to get up with them at night.
So, what is a reasonable payment for such a night+breakfast shift? In this case the expectation is the employee could sleep most nights. In other cases, the client may be up a lot at night and would need supervision.
I'd like to hear responses from people more familiar with hiring practices than I am.
What would be reasonable pay, 1) when the expectation is emergency-only night duty? 2) When the person would be expected to stay awake?
What hours would you expect this person to be present in the house?
By "board" do you mean 3 meals a day? Would this person be preparing the meals?
It would help to know exactly what you are expecting.
As Glad says, fulltime live-in caregiving is extremely expensive. But it sounds like that might not be what you are looking for. Please explain.