Hopefully, you will have a few days window in which to arrange for an Aide to come home with (from a facility) or to help your elderly relative with their ADL’s in the home. Agencies will send whoever they have available, sometimes meeting the medical parameters and price constraints you have established for the job, and sometimes not.

You will need to cull the field to find the one best suited to your needs.

Create a check list for yourself, that at the very least seeks answers to the following questions:

• Do they drive?
• Do they have car insurance in their own name?
• Do they have cell phone service in their own name?
• Do they (or does the Agency) have insurance?
• Does the Agency do background checks?
• Do they pay in U.S. withholding taxes for themselves?

Does the Agency?

• Do they have prior experience caring for people with similar problems?
• In case of an emergency, what will they do? Who will they contact?
• Will they provide light house cleaning chores?
• Can they cook? Can they understand/ adjust to specialized dietary needs??
• If need be, will they live-in? This is a very important question because Agencies typically charge between $12 and $15 per hour in our area. ?

Live-ins are generally paid between $125 and $165 per day. Which is better for your situation; someone on hand 24/7 or someone there 10 hours per day? Basically, the same cost factor - which is better for your situation.

Having the right help in the home can be crucial. Don’t rush the decision. Don’t take someone else’s word for anything. Do the basic research. It will pay off for all concerned in every aspect.