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My husband and I have just hired in-home care providers for my in laws, through a local agency. The owner has told us that we are not to have any direct contact with the care providers. Is this normal? How do we find out what is going on and how our parents are responding to it?

Are you saying that, if a provider is giving care to your elder in his/her own home, and you call there, you are not allowed to speak with the provider to ask how the day is going?
Really?
I find that very odd. I can only assume they are hiring people incapable of communicating?
I can certainly understand that they cannot be interrupted continually as they prepare lunch, do cleaning, laundry and pickup. But a simple occasional call not being answered seems a bit odd to me.

Do understand that often the same caregivers are not coming to the home at all times. The care is arranged and scheduled around client needs and caregiver scheduling.

Have you looked into several agencies and they are all this way?
Have you asked for their reasoning?
What do they tell you; we are just a bunch of caregivers so we would be guessing but they clearly must have a reason and I can't imagine why they wouldn't discuss that with you if you ask them.

What is their feeling about you having camera and sound system installed? This would give you access to "looking in " on your loved one, and it would be there whether or not they are.
I would be concerned about this. We recently heard about a caregiver that simply "leaves for 2 1/2 hours". Another caregiver complained of it. So this would be of concern to me.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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Have you asked this question of the agency? I seeno problem in asking how parents are doing today but thats wherevit stops. You nor the aide should get personally friendly. As said, you should not be asking an aide to do anything out of their 8 hr shift. No gift giving should be made. No getting involved with their personal life. No loaning of money. No bringing their kids to work. This is a professional agreement. Maybe the aide reports to the agency and the agency is your go between.
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Reply to JoAnn29
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It's (at least partially) to protect their privacy, mom's caregivers weren't even supposed to give their last names, although mom lived in a small community and had the same caregiver for many years so we eventually did know all about her and her family. We respected that her life did not revolve around mom but unfortunately she had other clients call her at home asking for favours outside her working hours; even if it was just a request to pick something up at the store on her way that's not right or ethical.
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Reply to cwillie
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