Is it common practice for home health aides (USA) to help pay bills? How about call (health) insurance companies to clarify bills (and leave notes for family members to help to client.) I am not sure how much access an aide should have to financial matters, or if it is ethical for them to do so. Thanks!
The caregiver Agency I had used, they did have caregivers who were good at bookkeeping and since the Agency was bonded the client would have little to worry about. I know, there is always a first. My Dad a habit of leaving his bank and stock statements out for anyone to see, so his day caregiver made sure those were placed in Dad's desk, or upside down in the filing tray.
When I took over the bill paying for my Dad, his checks also had to have my name on the checks and my signature on file with the bank. I had all of Dad's bills and statements sent to my house which made it much easier.
Yes, there will be clients who want full control of their money. The caregiver could help that client by writing out the check but having the client sign the check, and the client balance the checkbook.
I think it's just too much temptation, and too much responsibility. We assume that others are automatically going to have our level of financial savvy and bill paying, but that may not be true.
I was rudely awakened to different levels of knowledge during a short stint with private duty caregivers. Two used undiluted bleach in a closed area (one got sick), one used a wet washcloth on a plugged in electric strip with 3 cords to appliances, one got lost while driving about 6 - 7 miles in an area in which she grew up, two out of three misrepresented in the company log what level of work they did....lots of fudging. What they claimed to have done couldn't possibly have been accomplished in the time they were there.
I shudder to think of the disasters that could happen if I gave them any level of financial control.
In this digital day and age it is simple to arrange for bill information and payments to be directed automatically to the POA and even daily expenses can be safeguarded by exclusively using plastic money.