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Who are you caring for?
Which best describes their mobility?
How well are they maintaining their hygiene?
How are they managing their medications?
Does their living environment pose any safety concerns?
Fall risks, spoiled food, or other threats to wellbeing
Are they experiencing any memory loss?
Which best describes your loved one's social life?
Acknowledgment of Disclosures and Authorization
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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Mostly Independent
Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
Remember, this assessment is not a substitute for professional advice.
Share a few details and we will match you to trusted home care in your area:
You don't give much here to go on. Like why does your husband need a caregiver?
If it's just someone to provide companionship, walk the dog, and prepare meals then get a hire off of care.com or a homecare agency.
If he has dementia and needs actual care depending on how long you're planning to travel, I'd say put him in a care facility for a respite stay. Medicare pays for up to two weeks respite stay in a facility.
You don't mention any specific caretaking or nursing kinds of needs, but maybe a nursing school or other college student would like that kind of experience. The college or university might be able to give you enough background information to make it a safe contact.
Create a list of questions. You can hire direct / a contractor-independent care provider or you can hire through an agency.
If you write down the needs / duties / questions you can interview people in the same way and you won't forget specific questions / needs.
Ask about: Likely the 'best' caregiver is someone referred to you who' have utilized their services. experience dependability specific situation - how would you handle ... Create a list of duties - go over it
caregivers are different depending on maturity, age, experience, and intention. Some are more compassionate than others; some think ahead / assess situations and do what is necessary - others will sit with the phones on playing games, doing this kind of work solely out of financial need vs caring for the person they are charged to care for.
If you hire directly, I would also ask for: copy of driver's license criminal check (fingerprinting) - (facilities require) references (then check them) TB test and/or Covid test (facilities require)
Have a back-up person in case. Hide valuables. (some) Caregivers do steal.
I should add...If your spouse is on Hospice or Hospice eligible the cost of a Respite stay is covered by Medicare or Medicaid and most other insurance. Might be worth it to see if your spouse is eligible for Hospice. Hospice does not mean that they are actively dying. My Husband was on Hospice for 3 years. As long as there is a documented decline they can be recertified for Hospice.
Does hospice care vary by state? My dad is in a SNF with a dementia diagnosis plus others, near death, & was taken off hospice after 80 days because he was no longer considered terminal. He is 94 years old. I don’t understand.
A good question. I gave up my job that involved a lot of travel. That is one way around the problem. On one of my trips before things got too bad my wife got a dog. Now I have it to take care of. Now it is like starting over need to find a job and start a new life.
Respite stay would be less and have care 24/7. If you get agency about $30*16 hours $480 per day, maybe about $100 for overnight. Rounded up $600 per day. In my experience with my husband caregivers don’t show up on time, cancel etc. I would not enjoy my trip and worry. My husband stayed in AL for respite recently $3,000 for 10days, not perfect, but 24/7 staff available.
i put my wife in a local care facility for 9 days while I took a trip. The facility was largest in our area and highly recommended. They required a Dr’s certification and I prepared a 4 page write up of my wife’s condition and presented that with her file. I also reviewed the document with the physician who managed the care facility.
my wife is a total care patient and unable to feed herself and unable to use her arms and hands so can’t reach for or grasp a drink cup for fluids. Al of this was reviewed with the physician and documented in the Dr’s certification and my written document.
when I returned I found my wife had lost weight and was dehydrated and the physician recommended intravenous fluids. The stay cost $3,000 and I received several billings subsequent to discharge.
i prepared a detailed letter to the administrator, physician and admissions containing the Dr’s certification, my detailed write up and numerous documents from their patient portal. The patient portal contained comments that were totally untrue and fabrications. That person was terminated. The administrator and head nursed acknowledged they failed to properly care for my wife.
if you admit for respite care I would advise having someone visit the patient during the stay.
You do not mention how long you will be gone what care your husband needs Your best bet might be to find a facility that will meet his care needs and arrange a Respite Stay. That could be a week, 2 weeks or longer. In some facilities they will accept a dog particularly if he can care for it in some manner. (with help) Or you can board the dog or have a friend take it for a while. OR Hire, through an agency a caregiver to come in and care for both your husband and the dog. Sounds like it would have to be a 24/7 caregiver.
Good possibility that the Respite Stay would be less expensive than having a caregiver come in. Particularly if your husband needs to take medications. A caregiver from an agency can not "dispense" medications. They can take medications that have been placed in a cup and place it in front of the person they are caring for. That person must then be able to pick up the cup and take the medication themselves. If this is not possible then your "caregiver" is now required to be a Nurse. That would be much more expensive.
You need to firm up this list. As in what does “light housekeeping” look like on a checklist? What does personal care look like? What specifically needs to be done every time your loved one needs to urinate and defecate? What specifically are the expectations for feeding?
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
If it's just someone to provide companionship, walk the dog, and prepare meals then get a hire off of care.com or a homecare agency.
If he has dementia and needs actual care depending on how long you're planning to travel, I'd say put him in a care facility for a respite stay. Medicare pays for up to two weeks respite stay in a facility.
See private message I sent you.
You can hire direct / a contractor-independent care provider or you can hire through an agency.
If you write down the needs / duties / questions you can interview people in the same way and you won't forget specific questions / needs.
Ask about:
Likely the 'best' caregiver is someone referred to you who' have utilized their services.
experience
dependability
specific situation - how would you handle ...
Create a list of duties - go over it
caregivers are different depending on maturity, age, experience, and intention. Some are more compassionate than others; some think ahead / assess situations and do what is necessary - others will sit with the phones on playing games, doing this kind of work solely out of financial need vs caring for the person they are charged to care for.
If you hire directly, I would also ask for:
copy of driver's license
criminal check (fingerprinting) - (facilities require)
references (then check them)
TB test and/or Covid test (facilities require)
Have a back-up person in case.
Hide valuables.
(some) Caregivers do steal.
Gena / Touch Matters
Might be worth it to see if your spouse is eligible for Hospice.
Hospice does not mean that they are actively dying. My Husband was on Hospice for 3 years. As long as there is a documented decline they can be recertified for Hospice.
If you get agency about $30*16 hours $480 per day, maybe about $100 for overnight. Rounded up $600 per day.
In my experience with my husband caregivers don’t show up on time, cancel etc. I would not enjoy my trip and worry.
My husband stayed in AL for respite recently $3,000 for 10days, not perfect, but 24/7 staff available.
my wife is a total care patient and unable to feed herself and unable to use her arms and hands so can’t reach for or grasp a drink cup for fluids. Al of this was reviewed with the physician and documented in the Dr’s certification and my written document.
when I returned I found my wife had lost weight and was dehydrated and the physician recommended intravenous fluids. The stay cost $3,000 and I received several billings subsequent to discharge.
i prepared a detailed letter to the administrator, physician and admissions containing the Dr’s certification, my detailed write up and numerous documents from their patient portal. The patient portal contained comments that were totally untrue and fabrications. That person was terminated. The administrator and head nursed acknowledged they failed to properly care for my wife.
if you admit for respite care I would advise having someone visit the patient during the stay.
how long you will be gone
what care your husband needs
Your best bet might be to find a facility that will meet his care needs and arrange a Respite Stay. That could be a week, 2 weeks or longer.
In some facilities they will accept a dog particularly if he can care for it in some manner. (with help)
Or you can board the dog or have a friend take it for a while.
OR
Hire, through an agency a caregiver to come in and care for both your husband and the dog. Sounds like it would have to be a 24/7 caregiver.
Good possibility that the Respite Stay would be less expensive than having a caregiver come in. Particularly if your husband needs to take medications. A caregiver from an agency can not "dispense" medications. They can take medications that have been placed in a cup and place it in front of the person they are caring for. That person must then be able to pick up the cup and take the medication themselves. If this is not possible then your "caregiver" is now required to be a Nurse. That would be much more expensive.
They will do light house work, id explain to them first about walking the dog. Some don't mind, some may.
When I did caregiving, I didn't mind walking a dog. .
I hope others have cheaper ideas, and you get your very much needed vacation!