What do you expect from your aides? I know they are expected to help with light house work but I find very few offer to do this.

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What do you expect from your aides? I know they are expected to help with light house work but I find very few offer to do this.

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Take good care of spouse. The one that showers him does not pick up shower afterwards. Also, even though I bought facemask and have requested a few times that they wear them when helping him directly, one of the caregivers still forgets. Should I say something again, or contact the agency and let them handle it?

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My mom's aides all wear masks and we put hand sanitizers and a sign on and by the front door stating {please wash hands}. I have also insisted that her OT/ PT and any other providers clean their equipment in front of us before using it on my mom. I ask her HHA about 1 hr prior to their departure if the room has been picked up and the trash emptied out. I am finding the aids never empty the trash can in her room unless I ask them. I have shown them where the trash cans are outside. I finally printed out my mom's daily routine along with the details about the trash cans, where her depends/ poise pads/ bed pads etc are, how to set up my mom for her to do her am / pm routine. that way everything is in writing and all the HHA are doing it the same. I finally had to call the agency to release her HHA that was coming in 4 days a week in the AM b/c she was not working out. was not happy with her attitude, did not like her energy in our home, did not trust her and I didnt like the way she cared for my mom. the kicker was that she sat in the other room away from my mom and talked on the phone the whole 4 hr shift.

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You should place a sign on or near front door that masks are to be worn inside by any guests. Leave the masks right inside the door along with gloves & sanitizer for use or they can choose to wash their hands in the bathroom. Read your contract or call agency for their job description if needed. They should also bathe, help or dress him, put dirty laundry & clothes where directed & change linens. If they prepare a meal, they should also tidy up the kitchen. Remind them once about spread of the COVID rules & the need to protect your household as well as others. If they don't abide, report it to the agency. You are paying them to help your LO & part of that is to abide by current health standards. Be pleasant but firm about your expectations.

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Imho, it is IMPERATIVE that they don face masks. I would think that WOULD clean up after shower prep.

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I did put a note on top of the mask container that seemed to work. Thanks all

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Swanalaka and My2Cents nailed it. As a former agency owner, I held my caregivers to high standards and wanted to know if clients were unhappy. If clients were unreasonable, we also had our caregiver's backs. Transparency is key.

Housekeeping, picking up after a shower, cleaning the kitchen after meal prep is a reasonable expectation and should be part of the plan of care. In this time of COVID, not wearing a mask is unacceptable.

The agency and the caregivers should be responsible and accountable.

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You will have to insist on the mask. A caregiver coming from an agency should not be 'forgetting' to use a mask. And the agency should be providing masks for all of their employees. Use of those that you bought should be far and few between.

The person doing shower should be picking up afterwards.

I would mention it to the caregiver. It is very possible that you let mask and clean up slide a few times so now this person thinks it's ok. Sometimes we help to create our own pet peeves with others by not saying anything. Then what they do becomes acceptable in their own mind.

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I would ask them directly another time before contacting the Agency.

They should pick up after themselves

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My experience has been with an agency and also private caregivers. The agency had a very detailed list of task expectations. I used their list for the private caregivers, created a simple chart that they were required to sign and fill out daily. When one sitter did not comply after two weeks I emailed her manager and she was removed from my parent's home. This I need to add was after I face to face went over the task list and had conversations with her. Now during covid a mask is mandatory at all times in the home. No excuses.

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Ddefinitely talk to the agency about the light housekeeping. I work for an agency and we are supposed to take care of any client related things-change sheets if needed, clean up dishes and kitchen after a meal, client (not family) laundry, tidy client's room.
Any time you have the least little question it is best to contact the agency right away. Communication in both directions is key. Waiting to ask, and wondering if you should ask, just gives the question time to fester in your mind. Ask before a simple question becomes a huge issue. You have enough stress already.
As for the mask...ABSOLUTELY INSIST the mask is worn properly when the aide is in your home. No negotiation. Reminding politely a couple times is fine (and probably appreciated) but anything more than that needs to be brought up with the agency. Covid needs to be addressed properly by everyone, all the time or it will never stop killing our loved ones.

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What type of agency is it, and who is paying for the help? We had Visiting Angels help my dad after a stroke. They did housework, helped him in and out of bed, helped with dressing, fixed meals and cleaned up, did laundry. All specified when we signed the contract. They would have helped with meds too but Dad insisted he could handle that. We paid out of pocket for this service.

When Mom needed help after surgery her insurance covered having an aide help with bathing 2X a week, that is all she did and she did clean up the bathroom, fold clothes, hang towels, and clean out the tub.

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There is no reason why they can't throw his dirty clothes into a hamper or hang up a damp towel and what not. It's not like you're asking them to vacuum the carpet and wash dishes. Yes picking up after shower time is not too much to expect. Yes, the caregivers should be wearing a mask while caring for your husband. I agree with a previous poster...put a note on the front door that a mask is required for entry. A hand washing or hand sanitizer before they begin is also a good idea.

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The mask is a no-brainer. He should walk up to your house wearing a mask and wear it 100% of the time he is there. That alone is a huge red flag. Agency should be told. Also he should go directly to the bathroom and wash his hands when he gets there.
He absolutely should pick up after the shower. He sounds lazy to me.
Fire him.

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I put a little card on our front door saying 'Face Masks Required'. It reminds our caregivers and others coming into our home to have their mask on, and saves us from the awkward situation of having to mention it. It protects everyone.

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Do you hire them through an agency? Does the agency give you a contract of what to expect?
Quite honestly it is up to you to write out what they expect on any given visit, assigning priority in the time given. At the time they are doing housekeeping and cooking and shopping of course they are NOT caring for the elder you have hired them to help.
As to the mask that is CRITICAL and must be reported. They are out in the world and can bring covid into your home. That is something that must be addressed.

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When assessment was made for care what was included in the need for care? I would expect that once the client is bathed that the aide would pick up the bathroom and not leave it for others to do, what if the client lived alone who would pick up then?

You need to draw the line in the sand over the mask. They either wear it or they do not come in! Notify the agency they are hired through that they are not following CDC guidelines. I have had to report two aides to two different agencies and both were given disciplinary action for not following procedures. It is not up to you to provide the PPE for them it is up to the agency they work for. These agencies have been given loans, grants and rate increases to cover the cost of providing masks, gloves, gowns, etc.

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Thanks all for your help. No I do not micromanage as I hate to ask them to do anything. The agency has a list of light housekeeping and one aid asked if they were my request, I said no that is the agency's request. I have contacted the agency about wearing mask they had human relations go over it with the one aid.
I did buy a box of mask, have rubber gloves and hand sanitizer. I think I'll just forget it other than request mask, again, that she put on mask when helping him directly.
The agency does check on how they are doing once in awhile and I usually say fine. There is changes sometimes so when that happens I will request that the agency go over with them requirements a little bit better. I have a separate housekeeper once a month.

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I worked for a local Visiting Nurse Assoc as a secretary. We had a client that was able to get in home help. (We didn't supply aides) His wife complained that the aide did not do dishes or laundry, etc. My boss told her the aide was for her husband not her. If he lived alone, then the aide would be responsible for cleaning up and doing a little housekeeping and his laundry. But because there was someone living there, vacuming , family laundry and washing family dishes were not her responsibility. Her responsibility was anything that was done for the client. If she made breakfast and lunch, then yes she cleaned up. But washing dishes left over from the night before from the family was not her responsibility. Cleaning up after bathing, aides responsibility. Changing of soiled sheets and washing them, aides responsibility. Cleaning up any messes left by client while on duty, aides job. If they do more, great, but their only responsibility is to the client. The one problem our clients aide had with laundry was that it was an apartment and the washing facility was an attached building at the end of the row of apts.

If you want a facemask worn then they need to wear one. You may have to provide it but u have a right to ask that one be worn. Contact the agency and see what their criteria is.

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We have check sheets provided by the agency where the aides have to check off what they've done and sign, also put in the hours they worked. I'm really surprised the agency doesn't require aides to wear masks, and provide the masks to them, along with gloves. It's a Covid disaster waiting to happen to have people in your home without masks, who are likely going into other people's homes. The agency should make sure the aides are following infection control procedures, washing their hands, etc. Our agency is charging us an extra $3 per week for protective equipment. We are extremely fortunate in the two aides we have, who go way above and beyond in their "light" housekeeping. At a minimum you should expect them to clean up in the bathroom, change your husband's bed and tidy up the bedroom, etc. Doing some laundry might be expected, e.g. your husband's towels and sheets, your husbands clothes. How much the aides have time to do really depends on your husband's needs and how much hands on care or attention they need to provide to him; my husband doesn't need a lot, so our aides, who like to be busy, end up doing a lot more housekeeping, along with helping him shower, shave, and dress, take walks with him outside, and get him meals and snacks. I'd actually try speaking with the agency first, not in any accusatory way, just to clarify what they communicated to the aides in terms of expectations. If there's been mis-communicaton, best to get it cleared up right away. I'd definitely talk to the agency about the masks; they should be providing them and making sure the aides wear them

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The duties should have been clearly communicated when you signed the contract. Light housework is standard. I would have a talk with the caregiver first and see how they respond. If they don’t improve then bring it up with the agency.

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I would certainly expect aid to pick up towels etc. after shower, but not heavy cleaning. I would expect garbage cans in moms room, moms bath and kitchen to be emptied. Mine also vaccums moms room. changes sheets on moms bed, leaves towels, sheets in laundry room, I do laundry. Puts dirty dishes in DW, empties DW.

I would expect aid to wear mask if provided.

I don't consider any of this micro-managing, but I do think it should be discussed with agency.

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The aides are attending to his immediate needs. It doesn't sound like there is anything that warrants complaining. What does the home care contract state as caregivers responsibilities.

Perhaps your constant micro-management is discouraging caregivers from straying from immediate needs and caregiving duties?

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What? Nothing that was said indicates any micromanagement in the least.

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What do you expect from your aides? I know they are expected to help with light house work but I find very few offer to do this.

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