Paid Caregivers

Should you bring Grandma’s aide with you or hire someone in your destination city?

"Bring-along" pros and cons:

Pros

• Known entity - Grandma knows, trusts and likes her (and, hopefully, you do, too).

Cons

• You'll pay for all transportation, food and lodging expenses for the aide's entire trip.
•  This may not be a negative, but the person will be with you 24/7. Is that OK with you and Grandma? 
• Will she need time off? (Don't assume anything; ASK.) If she does, you might need to hire a second person to fill in.

Hiring in destination city:

Pros

• You can hire locally for specific hours and pay just for the time needed (plus meals) and, perhaps, cab fare.
• If you've hired through an agency and the aide gets sick or can't come for some reason, the agency will get a replacement for you.

Cons

• You’re taking a chance that the agency is reliable, thoroughly screens their employees, and that the aide will be competent, trustworthy, and nice. Ask for credentials and references for the person being sent to you!

To maximize the chances you’ll find the right person:

• Begin your search months or weeks ahead.
• Ask for recommendations from RESPONSIBLE people you know who live in that city.
• If you'll be using an agency, call the social services department of the most reputable hospital in your destination city. Get the names of their most highly recommended agencies, call each one and ask a lot of questions. If they have a prospective aide in mind, ask if the candidate is well known to them, and for how long he/she has been in their employ. Ask for references.

We chose not to bring Grandma’s aide from home. A couple of months before our New York City trip, I called the social services department of one of the best hospitals in Manhattan, explained the circumstances and was given the names of 3 agencies. My first call was to an agency affiliated with a nationally-known nursing organization. The intake person took information regarding dates of service, what specifically I was looking for, and Grandma’s medical condition and limitations. I was told that someone would call me back in a few days. I waited and no one called back. I subsequently called them two more times over the next two weeks, and was told they were working on it and would contact me a couple of weeks before my trip. This didn’t sound right, and I didn’t want to wait that long to know that someone was definitely on board. I decided to try the other two agencies, which were much smaller. I spoke with the owner or manager of each. I told them all about Grandma, and why we were coming to New York. They each said they knew someone they thought would be perfect, and they would contact that person to check on her availability. They both got back to me within 24 hours, and I ended up going with the one who got back to me first. The person they sent was fabulous and I would highly recommend this agency:

     SelectCare
     Carla
     915 Broadway, Suite 1101
     New York, NY 10010
     Phone: 212-505-3640
     Fax: 212-505-5347

For our wedding in California, we happened upon an expert on elder care who had written an article that my husband discovered online. We emailed her and, to our surprise, she wrote back with a recommendation of an agency she had heard wonderful things about. We contacted them, told them how we found them, and they ended up sending us a fabulous lady. They also helped us borrow a raised toilet seat for the hotel - from a local “loan closet,” a service that lends medical equipment to those in need. (I guess we qualified, because we had flown in from out of town, and were unable to bring along our own equipment.) The loan closet was totally their idea. I was especially grateful and felt this was a selfless act, since if I hadn't gotten the loaner equipment, I would have had to hire an aide for many more hours to help Grandma in the bathroom.

     LivHome
     220 E. Figueroa Street
     Santa Barbara, CA 93101
     Phone: 805-687-8766
     Fax 805-563-1507

Before you contact an agency, know your needs and have the following information available:

• Your loved one's medical condition, meds, limitations;
• The exact hours/days you need service.

Dissect your itinerary. Really think about what your schedule will be, hour by hour, day by day. In our case, we were in town for our child’s wedding. I needed to consider: where and when our meals would be, handicap-accessibility of every single place Grandma would be going, when and for how long I would not be able to be with Grandma, going to the hairdresser, Grandma going to the hairdresser, meetings/entertaining, Grandma’s getting-ready time, my getting-ready time, how – and with whom – Grandma would travel to/from the wedding, how late I’d be at the venue, how late Grandma would be at the venue, whether or not someone should stay with her at the hotel until I returned from the venue, logistics of any and all probable commitments – including where, when, how to get there. Forcing yourself to list these details will help you make a decision regarding caregiving needs and save you from aggravation later!

See Blog Archive in left sidebar for other posts:
Packing (March 11)
Freecycle (Feb. 17)
Renting a Car (Feb. 2)
How to Select a Hotel (Dec. 28)
Meds, Meds, Meds (Dec. 14)
Expectations (Oct. 26)
Planning (Oct. 23)