Hello everyone,
I am looking for a sample weekly schedule of hours for the live-in caregiver. Anything to share regarding your personal experiences hiring /or employing a live-in caregiver is also appreciated!
I have been interviewing and am soon in a position to hire. This individual will be classified as an Independent Contractor, under legislation in Ontario, Can. They are agreeable to six day work-weeks with approx. 35-40 hours of hands-on work a week.
Quick update: to those following my journey...
Grandpa is resisting doctor's appointments (so we're unable to get paperwork completed), and at 96, with the amount of assistance he needs w/ ADLS, it is just too late for AL. Even with MC. Instead we are hiring a live-in caregiver, to stay with him in the spare bedroom in his condo (he currently lives alone, though I am sleeping over 6 days a week).
As for my plans, I'll hopefully be back in California by end of year, as my mom expects to be back in Toronto soon and take over caregiving duties.
Peace, love and blessings to ALL!
I did this line of work for 25 years and I own a homecare agency. I will tell you honestly. If it's too late for AL it's too late for homecare and I would strongly advise you not do this. Put your grandfather in a nursing home or a memory care facility.
Our plan was to wait for a health crisis and hospitalization and then into a NH. That finally did happen in August 2023 thankfully.
This was not what my mother wanted but there were no other good choices.
I agree with those who believe AL of SNF is the best move for Grandpa at this point ... I just cant get him to agree to see his pcp (or any doctor for that matter). He doesn't listen to me, and my Mom is the only one who can get him to agree to things he doesn't want to do. When she comes back next month, we will figure out a solution that works for everyone.
In the meantime, I have PSWs who come daily (provided by the Canadian government) and ones that I hire privately for days when I need respite.
Cheers everyone! Happy Canada day from Toronto!
One lady I took care of hated change and different people, so she hired 2 private people. They did 3 and a half days on each a week . I worked for a company and I was her fill in person because she had a horrible time with strangers. That's one idea that worked well for this family.
Mostly id say is what's best for one though might not work for another. Some might like to see a different face every day.
Best of luck to you
I had a position like that years back too. The only one I ever took that was close to being a 'live-in' one. We split the week and alternated Sundays. I don't do live-in and my company doesn't either.
The other caregiver who I shared the position with had allowed the client to form a 'shadowing' habit with her. Poor girl was sleeping on a couch in the client's bedroom and even had to set up a chair in the doorway of the bathroom because she wasn't able to go to the toilet or shower without the client.
You find it exhausting and I am guessing (cuz this is how life works) that you are younger than your mom. (insert laugh here) I would think that it will be exhausting for your mom even more so than you.
Keeping the caregiver for days gives mom a break during the day and generally speaking caregiving at night is a bit easier.
And by that time your grandpa will be used to the routine that the caregiver has and will be used to the way she/he does things.
By the way good job in finding someone that you can trust to do a good job. A word of caution though. Remove ALL sensitive papers. Remove anything of value. A lock box sounds good but they can be picked up easily and taken. A larger safe is a lot more difficult to move. It does not have to be real large, the one I got is about 17 inches square. (outside dimensions) Plenty of room for papers and any smaller valuables.
If the caregiver needs a credit card get a prepaid one that can be "reloaded" and monitor purchases.
So the live-in situation is only temporary? How long do you think it will be? One month? 2? More?
So, if the live-in gets sick, you will be the sub? If not, then what's the plan for that situation?
What if the live-in isn't working out and you want to let them go? Here in the US if a person gets their mail someplace then that is their legal residence. If they don't move voluntarily then they have to be evicted, which costs money and takes a minimum of 30 days.
Make sure to have a written contract (even if they are a "contract" worker), have the situation covered by extra liability insurance (if necessary in Canada) and have a back-up plan that can be quickly put into place if things don't work out like expected. My husband and I had our own business with employees and contractor workers so I'm just thinking like an employer...