In-Home Assistance & Support for Elders
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Finding a Helper for a Senior
Oct 2011
Hi there,
My mother resides in a skilled nusing facility. They are
very nice and helpful. We definately feel good about the
facility, however my mother, who is basically wheel chair
bound, is getting 'bored'. She doesn't seem to really be
drawn to the activities at the facility. I would love to
find a person or organization who is equipped to take my
mother out once or twice a week for a fee. Are there people
or organizations equipped to do this?
I've worked for the company called Engage as You Age, which
carefully matches its employees to older people who are
seeking to learn a new skill, get out to interesting places,
or otherwise 'engage' more. Find them at:
http://engageasyouage.com/ and talk to their director, Ben
Lewis, who really cares about the people they serve. I hope
this helps!
Hi - I am a health advocate/care manager. You don't say
where the SNF is located so it's more difficult to identify
services. However, here are a few suggestions: 1. If you
haven't already, talk with facility staff about your
concerns. 2. Silver Ride, is a transportation company
especially for older adults. You may learn more about them
here: http://www.silverride.com 3. Engage As You Age --
pairs a smart, empathic Specialist with your mom, who shares
her interests and passions. An incredible service!
http://engageasyouage.com. Those are the resources that
come to mind right now. Feel free to email me if you are
looking for something else or have additional questions.
Take care Dana
Oct 2011
My 82 year old mother needs live-in care to help with basic
needs like dressing, getting up from a chair or bed, getting
food, transport to appointments, running errands,... Some
days she fine to do these tasks on her own, other days she's
too weak. Her mind is fully there; it's her body wearing
out. She is living on her own now with people stopping in to
help, but she is in need of more care. Want somebody with
experience/references and who is kind, bright, an early
riser, and not too chatty.
Hi - I am a private health advocate/care manager. It's
terrific you're being proactive regarding your mom's
needs/care. I would recommend hiring a live- in caregiver
from a non-medical, full service, in-home care agency, for
the following reasons: 1. the caregiver is employed by the
agency (but works for you) and therefore the agency pays
taxes, provides worker's comp and will get someone else if
the person is sick or injured etc. and you are not liable.
2. the caregivers are back ground checked, screened, and
have experience and training 3. the agency is available 24/7
and supervise the caregivers Hiring someone privately might
be less expensive but as the consumer, you must assume all
of the responsibilities of an employer. There are also
referral agencies which place caregivers with consumers --
you would want to know their training, screening processes
etc -- some collect a placement fee or some charge an hourly
rate, but they often don't pay employer/employee taxes or
worker's comp, so again, you assume the responsibilities of
an employer. I would recommend contacting the following
full service agencies to get more information: BrightStar:
Jen Williams, 925.785.0734 www.brightstarcare.com Comfort
Keepers: Jamie Thorpe, 925.808.8372. www.comfortkeepers.com
Take care, Dana
I recommend you contact Meals on Wheels and Senior Outreach
Services in Walnut Creek. 925-946-1869. www.mowsos.org. In
addition to doing Meals on Wheels, this nonprofit agency
operates a number of other services for seniors and their
families, including a matching service that helps seniors
find screened in-home help, and a free social work service
that can help with a myriad of issues. They serve most of
Contra Costa county, including Rossmoor. I work at this
agency and can attest that it is staffed by caring folks.
Good luck! Anne
I recently heard from a friend about Inclusive Community
Resources, LLC (www.icrsls.com). I have no direct
experience with them, but you might want to check them out.
Parent
Jan 2011
I need someone to take care of my elderly mother in-law.
She is on a wheelchair, her husband will have surgery and
she can't stay alone. I would like someone with good
references, patience and very caring. A.
There's a homecare company in Hayward that sends caregivers
to your house at an hourly rate to look after people (like
cooking, laundry, bathing). My sister in law hired them for
her mother, and they seemed to do a good job. HomeAide
Homecare 510-247-1200. RDT
Editor: also recommended:
Board-and-Care Facilities
April 2010
My mother-in-law has Parkinson's disease and seems to be
developing Parkinson's dementia. She has a rather
complicated medication regimen (having to take pills 7 or
8 times per day; having to wait 30 minutes after eating
before she takes a pill, etc) and is no longer able to
follow it on her own. Her husband is trying to help but
he is not with her all day long and the result is that her
medications are not being managed well. We have tried
pill cases with alarms on them and setting timers but it's
not really working. I'm not really sure where to look for
help or what kind of help she needs. I'm not sure we can
afford to hire someone to be with her all day long and I
know she would hate that anyway, as she is still able to
function in a number of areas.
Has anyone else dealt with something similar? I feel like
we need a social worker or case manager to help us figure
out a care plan but I'm not sure where I would find
someone like that. Any ideas would be appreciated.
concerned daughter
Hi, I totally understand your parents' situation and my
heart goes out to you. I highly recommend you talk to
Susan Grant - president of Senior Helpers in Berkeley.
They provide professional, warm and compassionate care
that enables seniors to live independently in the comfort
of their own home. She is a wonderful person and truly has
a heart for seniors. They have a lot of experience and
good reputation serving seniors in the East Bay. Give her
a call to discuss your situation, I am sure she will have
a solution for you. Her number is 510-524-6700 or email:
sgrant@seniorhelpers.com Good luck
Lan
My mother-in-law also takes a pharmacy full of medication
and has had a hard time keeping it straight. My
sister-in-law lives nearby but can't go by MIL's house 5 x a
day. They solved the problem by getting this machine which
dispenses the medication. Once a week my sis-in-law loads
all the meds into the timer/dispenser. I wish I knew what it
was called but perhaps a pharmacist or MD could tell you. It
takes about 1/2 hr. to load, but then it's good for about a
week. The pills are dispensed at the appropriate time and it
even says ''Time for your medication'' (which my MIL hates ...
sort of reminds me of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.) If
the meds aren't retrieved from the machine, a signal is sent
via the phone lines to a switchboard and they call my
sister-in-law. My MIL is very low income, and gets public
assistance from some county agency; this is where the
med-dispenser came from. They live in Ohio so not sure if
any CA social services agency would provide it. But I'm sure
the unit is for sale here. Good luck!
anon
Perhaps a caregiver service for seniors could spend some
time with her each day (when your father isn't available).
I worked for a company called Home Instead for a few years
and it sounds like it might do the trick for your family.
Caregivers spend time with the client (companionship), do
light housekeeping, run errands, whatever the family/client
needs. They are not allowed to administer medication, but
they can provide the necessary reminders to the client.
Home Instead is a national franchise; their local office is
in Oakland (www.homeinstead.com). Good luck.
Anon
Jan 2010
I am looking for help, or advice on how to best find help,
for my 84 year old mother who needs in-home attendant(s) due
to her physical limitations. She is a very pleasant,
easy-going 84-year-old with cancer and arthritis who lives
at home in North Berkeley. I need help 3-4 nights from 8:30
pm to 8:30 a.m. Right now, Thursday-Sunday nights are
preferable, but this is negotiable. There is a spare bedroom
to sleep in; infrequently she needs help getting to the
commode during the night. Tasks are usually simple: snack
preparation, dressing for bed, and helping her get in bed.
Process includes some personal care, like monitoring
pill-taking and putting on skin lotion. Generally, she
sleeps through the night. Thanks
Berkeley Jewish Family and Children's Services has
geriatric care managers, and LCSWs who can mediate family
conflicts, and offer solid advice on how to help your
folks. They are near Solano Ave, and their number is 558-
7800. Several of my friends have had help from them with
their mom, and mom and dad in their 80s and really felt it
was a valuable service..good luck.
anon
June 2009
My in-laws are in SF, and my MIL has become very ill and frail lately,
including falling several times at home and unable to get up. She has
been hospitalized twice in the past month, but continues to be
released as soon as the presenting issue (the latest was pneumonia) is
treated.
Neither of my in-laws wishes to move from their lovely home, and they
have excellent health insurance (private + MediCare), so they are able
to pay for some good care providers. They are completely and utterly
overwhelmed with this situation. They are truly unable to stay at
home as the two of them. They currently have a house cleaner once per
week, and a woman who comes to make a few meals for them weekly as
well--but we need 24/7 care for my MIL, possibly permanently.
I know that there are home health care attendants, but I have no clue
as to how to find them, screen them, etc. I am hoping that someone
has experience with an agency or individual to get us started. We are
able to do the majority of the screening for them, if need be (thanks
to Paid Family Leave laws!), but need some clues about where to start.
Also, if anyone knows how the billing works for MediCare, help would
be so appreciated on where to start with that as well.
Moving in with them is not an option, but any other options other than
moving would be welcomed also.
Fallen into the gap...generation
An option that you may not have heard of is called San Francisco
Village. The
''village'' model is an exciting new type of organization that is
popping up
all over
the country for seniors. The SF Village just launched this year. Its
basically a
member organization for seniors who want to age in their own homes.
For a small a
fee a year, it provides sort of a ''concierge'' service where you can
call for
any type of
service your parents need. For example, if you called them and said
you needed a
home care provider, they would have specific agencies or providers
that they know
and trust, and often provide discounts to their members. They have
lists of vetted,
guaranteed service providers like plumbers, contractors experienced in
home
modification, and anything else your parents could possibly need. It
also provides
lots of access to other more social things like lectures for members,
transportation
to shopping, or even to the opera.
This is their website: http://www.sfvillage.org/
A ''village'' like this is in development in Berkeley as well. The one
in
Berkeley is
called Ashby Village that is planning to launch in Jan.
http://www.ashbyvillage.org/
Carrie Graham clgraham@berkeley.edu
My Mom was widowed 5 years prior to being unable to live alone
(Alzheimer's), so I didn't have the problem ''times 2'', as you do,
but you'll need to get them some nice ladies to be ''companions /
caregivers'' for them - more than 1, because no one can do it by
themselves, 24/7 (trust me on this). Contact an elder-care
agency (like Janet Brush's Senior Alternatives:
http://www.bayareaseniorcare.com/about ) to help you. I went the
route of taking my Mom into my own home, and caring for her
myself; when I was in NY, I had a helper 8-9 hrs per day, but
when I moved here, I had to start from scratch w/the CA system,
and was paying out-of-pocket til she died (less than 1 week after
getting the approved paperwork granting help, etc. - ah, well).
Be prepared to go through a few, before finding ones you like
(competent, compassionate, intelligent) - kind of like looking
for a nanny, (deja vu all over again?) Best of luck, it's a hard
row to hoe, but keep in mind that it's only a ''phase'', and
(sadly?) won't last forever...
--Former Sandwich Gen Mom
Ah, I've been down that road. Agencies charge an exorbitant
amount and hire sub-par people at minimum or slightly above
minimum wage. None of this is covered by Medicare or any run-of-
the-mill insurance plan. Your best bet is hiring someone
yourself at a good hourly rate; ideally someone who would live
in the house and have two days off that family members would
have to cover.
anon
Definitely contact the Caregivers Alliance, they have a wealth of
information and support. As for specific home health agencies, I
am using Irish Help at Home for my mother, and have also heard
good things about them in the past. Good luck...
mm
We took my parents in when my mom could no longer care for my dad
with Parkinson's Disease.
Caregivers can be found through any senior network. Try
www.seniorsathome.org. They serve the SF bay area and it would be
a good place to start. Finding a caregiver is similar to finding
a nanny or a daycare for your children.
Medicare does not pay for assisted living or home care, only
skilled nursing. The skilled nursing is for 100 days at a time.
Home care is expensive (about $25 per hour) and unless your MIL
has long term home health insurance, then it comes out of pocket.
My mom's policy provides $700/week to pay out to an authorized
caregiver. But it is my DAD who is ill and because of his
parkinson's, he could not get LTHH insurance.
Recently, dad had a mild heart attack and was hospitalized for 4
days. Medicare and AARP paid 100%. I was able to arrange for him
to spend some time in the hospital rehab to build up his strength
before he came home. He did physical and occupational therapy
plus he had a complete dietary makeover. This was all paid for as
if he were in the hospital.
He was doing so well with regular exercise and a good diet, that
when he left the hospital, I found a skilled nursing center where
medicare and AARP paid 100% for 100 days. He also received
therapy and learned how to move so he wouldn't fall. They worked
with him so he would stop being impulsive and getting up and
turning without thinking, etc. I insisted he stay there until
these things became a habit.
He came home permanently this past Sunday. Medicare pays for the
Visiting Nurses to come by for about a month to bathe him,
monitor his medical needs, and provide therapy--both physical and
occupational.
If you have the financial resources, you should have no problem
finding someone who wants to live in.
You may contact me via e-mail if you want to share resources.
diane
Two excellent resources in San Francisco:
Self Help for the Elderly
http://www.selfhelpelderly.org/index.php
and Family Caregiver Alliance
http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/home.jsp
LK
Hi,
There are a number of agencies in SF you could use to help you
hire caregivers for your parents. One thing to consider is
hiring a private ''care manager'' who could take over the
hiring/screening/firing, or provide you with advice. Check out:
http://www.ioaging.org/services/programs/oacm/
While I don't know about this particular program within
Institute on Aging (IOA), they are a highly reputable,
excellent nonprofit. You can also google care manager in SF,
but I would start with IOA. Also, in the longer term, you
might call California Advocates for Nursing Home REform
(canhr.org) who have estate planning referrals, and lots of
good info about staying in one's home rather than going to a
nursing home.
elizabeth
May 2009
Can anyone recommend a good person to come and help my mother
(she is in her late 80s) at home. She needs some help with
taking medicine and general assistance during the day. She is
in Berkeley.
Thanks so much.
Anon
I cared for my Alzheimer'd Mom in my home for 5 yrs, until her
death. I found WONDERFUL help through BPN's Childcare digest -
think about it: many of the qualities one hopes for/requires in a
babysitter, are equally valuable in an elder caregiver... Careful
interviewing, plus reference checking will find you the help you
need - just like when you were choosing someone for your kids.
Patience & perseverance, and you'll find someone.-Good luck
Been there
My recommendation is to contact Senior Helpers in Berkeley on
Solano. They help seniors who wish to remain in their homes but
need help of one sort or another. You can get the most minimal to
extensive care from a caregiver who has been thoroughly checked
out. The number is 524 6700. Talk with Bruce Ingraham.
Sydney Metrick
If she is receiving Medi-Cal she is most likely eligible for
Alameda County IHSS. You can call the intake line at
510-577-1900. They will be able to determine if she is eligible
for in-home care paid for by the county.
Tina
Hello, I highly recommend you call Susan Grant, she is the
president of Senior Helpers located in Berkeley. Her company has
great reputatation in providing dependable professional in-home
care services. Her phone# is 510-524-6700 or email:
sgrant@seniorhelpers.com
Lan
I know you only asked for home care, but there are some wonderful
services out there to help your mom and offer you peace of mind.
For home care, I would highly recommend LivHome - they provide
non-medical in-home care. They're based in Walnut Creek and serve
Alameda County. The number is 925-296-0406 and their website is
www.livhome.com.
If your mom is in need of an in-home safety assessment and home
safety modifications such as installing grab bars, stair railings,
hand held shower, ramps etc, so that she can safely be at home,
maintain independence and prevent the likelihood of a fall, you
can call Home Safety Services at 650.571.7774 and check out their
services at www.homesafety.net. They are both licensed and bonded
contractors and certified aging-in-place specialists.
If you find yourself trying to juggle too much and need some
support and connection to services in managing all the aspects in
play when trying to help your loved one, you might want to check
out A GoldenHand at www.agoldenhand.com or call 925-820-1190.
Finally, another wonderful service is Engage As You Age - linking
seniors with highly skilled people whose interests mesh with your
mom's. You can learn more about their unique services at
www.engageasyouage.com or contact them at 415.690.6944.
If these services aren't a good fit and/or you are in need of
services for lower cost, please don't hesitate to contact me at
danawiltsek@yahoo.com. All the best to you,
Dana
Go on google check out Edler care in your ciity. We have had good
luck with them for our elderly inlaws. They also have a website.
Sharyl
Nov 2008
Hello,
Our senior aunt, who is very physically fit, is unfortunately
beginning to lose her memory, to the point of concerning
us...especially when it comes to taking the proper medication, in the
proper dose and at the proper time.
I've seen the recent posts on recommendations regarding assisted
living, but after visiting a couple of places, it doesn't seem that
she needs/wants that level of care yet.
We think that hiring a part-time person to help her is the best answer
right now. Ideally, they would supervise the taking of medications,
and help her manage the daily things of life such as: drive her to the
grocery store, cook, etc.
Anyone have ideas on how to go about finding such a person and what to
ask in the interview to properly vet such a person? Obviously, the
person will need to be extremely trustworthy.
All ideas, suggestions are welcome!
If your aunt is local, then the Jewish Family and Children's
Services in Albany can offer you exactly this kind of help. I
believe they have a list of caregivers/companions they recommend
often -- and if you don't find someone who fits your aunt's needs
on their list, they can help place an ad and vet respondents on
your behalf.
Good luck!
My dad has dementia. I recently had to put him in a care
facility in another state. Fortunately, I began researching
facilities a couple of years ago and also, slowly began to
convince him to sign both medical and financial power of attorney
forms so when we had a crisis I was able to deal with it. I only
attended one meeting of an Alzheimer's support group but it was
really helpful in guiding me. If your aunt has some kind of
crisis (this happened with my father) or illness it can really
accelerate the disease process.
Now is the time to get informed and prepared.
anonymous
Contact Family Caregiving Alliance for advice and a list of
questions.
http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/home.jsp
Good Luck
April 2008
My grandfather is currently at Kaiser recovering from a cardiac
arrest, pneumonia, & possible stroke. He was 100% healthy and
active pre-hospitalization. He's been in the hospital for 6 wks
& is just now starting to speak & move a little. He is on a
feeding tube. W/ his medical condition ''stabilizing'', he will
soon be discharged. Due to the cardiac arrest, he will
eventually (maybe in 1 mo or so) get an angiogram & possible
heart surgery. The docs say he is not strong enough to get the
surgery now and must be discharged first, go to a nursing
facility or home to recover for a while, ''get stronger'', &
then come back for any needed heart procedures.
Initially, the docs wanted to send him to the Kaiser Vallejo
Rehab center but they ''rejected'' him based on his heart
output not being strong enough. Thus, the docs are now
suggesting a nursing home facility. My mom has visited some of
these facilities in our area (he/we live in N.Berkeley) & the
facilities so far, seem horrendous: conditions are sub-par,
nurses are overworked, understaffed, the environment is quite
depressing, patients are only visited by a doctor once/month, &
only receive physical therapy 1hr/day. Also, the call button
in the rooms is of no help since he can't move his arms yet! No
visitors are allowed past 8PM at any of these facilities, nor
are overnight guests allowed. So there is really minimal family
involvement/help permitted.
My family has decided that it might be a nicer option for my
grandpa to go home to live with my parents & their kids (his
grandchildren, where he resided up until 6 wks upon admittance
to Kaiser. My parents would have a phys therapist & nurse visit
the home. Our questions are: does anyone have experience taking
this on? Are there resources in Berkeley for people taking care
of an older parent (he's 77) or can give guidance on what my
parents need to do to prepare for his discharge (i.e. renting
special beds, supplies, finding a good nurse and phys
therapist, figuring out which if any of these services/supplies
are covered by insurance). There are so many components in
getting this right and we could really use any guidance or
advice at this point. P.S. My mom is a SAHM (which is helpful)
There are many agencies and many resources. Kaiser should have
assigned a social worker to your case, who can assist you with
tapping into those resources. Your parents will probably need a
home visit from an OT and PT to determine what your grandfather
will need; I suspect that Kaiser will cover those visits and a
lot else besides, if you ask.
You should also take a look at the following website:
http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/jsp/home.jsp. It's a
wonderful group with a lot of information.
Ann
July 2007
My father-in-law, 86, is entering the middle phase of alzheimer's
and is being looked after primarily by my mother-in-law, 81, who
has some health issues. Both have been in and out of the hospital
recently. My mother-in-law does not want her husband moved into
an assisted living facility until it is absoluely necessary.
The family thinks that having someone come to the house to help
out with daily living, cooking, shopping, etc. as well as give my
mother-in-law some down time is a good intermediary step.
However, we are very concerned with theft. My sister-in-law, who
has done some in home nursing care, says that theft is a huge
problem and that basically you can't trust anyone.
I'm not comfortable picking an agency/caretaker blind so to
speak. The social worker at the hospital gave me a list of
agencies, but I'm not sure how to evaluate, interview and select
a caregiver, or how to secure their possessions; they have a
really nice house with lots of nice things, jewelry, etc.
(For complicated family reasons, I will set this up, not the
sister-in-law nurse.)
Thanks in advance for advice.
concerned daughter-in-law
I cared for my Alzheimer'd Mom in my home for 5 years, until
her death at age 90 last Nov. Janet Brush at Senior
Alternatives is an ''elder advisor'', and can help you organize
ANYTHING related to your parents needs. See the website:
( http://www.bayareaseniorcare.com/index.html ) for more info.
Good luck, I know what you're dealing with...
Carol
Sept 2006
My aging parents are currently independent, walk everywhere, but
that could change soon. I am going to look into Redwood Gardens -
based on current BPW listings. My current plan/strategy is to
keep them in their own apartment, then maybe move them in with me
(I am a single mom with a 3.5 year old daughter) and then - if
need be - move them into a partial- or full-care facility. If
they are with me or in their own apartment, I would want to have
in-home care. Ideally the person(s) would speak English
perfectly, be skilled with seniors, and make for intelligent
companions. No TV addicts. I am thinking that this approach would
be nicer for my parents and friendly for our limited budgets (am
I wrong?). I also have a terminally ill brother (cancer) - in San
Francisco - with an acute need for in-home care. If anyone would
like to recommend agencies or individuals for either of these
situations, I would be very grateful. General advice is also welcome.
Sorry to hear about your situations. I can't speak to the live in help
question, but I
can highly recommend certain hospice organizations in SF for your
brother. Try
Hospice by the Bay or Zen Hospice in Marin. Hospice organizations
typically provide
in home help, with both visits from nurses and personal care assistants.
Its covered
by Medicare, Medi-Cal and most private insurance companies.
When choosing a hospice organization, make sure it is one that is not
for profit and
also one that has a large foundation (meaning they get a lot of
charitable gifts)
I wish you luck.
anon
I realize this is not really what you're looking for at the
moment, but it sounds like you may be interested in the future.
A friend of mine (who is also on BPN) has a home care facility
for seniors. It's basically a really pleasant home with private
or semi-private rooms and a beautiful yard in Concord. They have
someone who cooks all the meals, and they are regularly their
with their daughter. I think it would be a good choice over a
standard senior facility, since it's still a home (though it is
not a hospital). I think they have about 5 residents right
now. You can check it out at
http://www.goodlifeliving.com/index.html
janet
If you're looking for in-home care, I would recommend Jewish Family & Children's
Services in Berkeley, tel.no. (510) 704-7475. They have lists of people who are
looking
for work as home aides and they can also help you and your parents decide what
would be the best solution for everyone. I used their services 7 years ago and
was very
grateful for their support during a difficult time. I couldn't get my father in
there to
talk to them but I did get their help over the phone. You do not have to be
Jewish to
use their services and they will help anyone who's struggling with this issue.
Nancy
May 2006
My father lives in Rossmoor (Walnut Creek) and needs a
caregiver to help him transfer from bed to walker, take him to
medical appointments, run errands and do basic housekeeping. It
could either be a split shift or live-in. Does anybody have
someone to recommend or way of finding somebody? I would rather
not use an agency because of the expense. Thanks.
Linda
Contra Costa County Aging & Adult Services is a one stop shop for information and assistance
when it comes to Elders. 1-800-
510-2020. They should be able to send you in the right direction.
Julie
Dec 2004
My father in law has both physical and mental (dementia) problems, but is still
at home being taken care of my mother in law. Needless to say this is quite
wearing on her and we would like to find some help for her, perhaps three
times a week, 6 hour shifts. He needs someone to help him bathe, keep him
clean, and be able to give him medication. They live in San Leandro. Does any
one know of a caring compassionate individual, or where I could start a search
for a caregiver? Thanks
emily
My grandmother recently ended up in the hospital and needed
some help when she got home. A social worker at the hospital
had a list of elder assistance agencies she had heard good
things about. This was in San Francisco. Maybe contact a
local hospital and they might have a similar list.
Or check with the County. There is a Department of Adult &
Aging Services.
Or here's a link to the California Association for Health
Services at Home. http://www.cahsah.org/resourceguide/alameda.asp
anon
Finding Work as a Senior Helper
Nov 2010
I have recently been taking care of my elderly grandmother
who lives alone and although she is not so incapable of
taking care of herself that she needs to go to a nursing
home, she does need some extra help with the housework and
cooking and I think that having a bit of company is also
very good for her, as she is a widow and the rest of her
family do not live nearby. It made me think about all the
other elderly people who might be in a similar position and
I was wondering about setting up some kind of effort to
provide a service whereby I could visit elderly people in
their homes and help them out with
housekeeping/gardening/running errands etc and thought this
might be a useful service for kids of elderly parents who
don't have time to do this but would be more comfortable
knowing that someone was dropping in to see their parents on
a regular basis and was keeping things ticking over in the
home. However, I have no idea how I would go about starting
this - whether I would need more actual qualifications,
whether people would be interested in this, whether it could
be something I could do as a job or if it would only work as
a voluntary effort...
I'd love your feedback!
seeking suggestions
Your inspiration is timely! My first suggestion is to
connect with an org that exists.
The East Bay is developing two communities - that I know of:
Ashby Village and Piedmont _____ (not sure of full name).
They are based on Beacon Village in Mass - a group of
neighbors gathering together to:
Do the things they can't - pet walking, shopping, driving to
appts
And to maintain life at home as long as possible.
If you contact Jewish Family Children's Services Center for
Older Adults and ask for Lisa Yordy - she will be a great
contact.
Second - as to qualifications, there are many organizations
such as National Assn of Professional Geriatric Care
Mangers.
you needn't join them, but could offer services along with
one.
Google the org and you will find a bunch in the East Bay.
I am a former intern at JFCS and have been a member of the
NAPGCM.
We need more people with such hearts.
Elders can save the world
I hired someone like this recently for my dad who lives out of
state. I found her through the local hospital when my dad was
being discharged after minor surgery and needed someone to drive
and check up on him for a while. They had a list of
private caregivers. They didn't endorse anyone on the list, but
had compiled it somehow and gave it out to people who asked. You
might check with hospitals here and see if they keep lists like that?
Another possibility is to talk to churches - they tend to have big
elderly populations, and might need appreciate having a recommendation
to give.
Hi - I think it's a good idea, and your issues would be
around safety and bonding people (like housecleaners and so
on are bonded). There are probably businesses like this, and
there are certainly lots of people who do this independently
- see Craigslist, domestic gigs. Easier to set up as a
nonprofit, but I think it could be a perfectly viable
business as long as you have an attorney advise you on legal
issues and create contracts that limit your liability.
Perhaps to test out whether you'd really like to do this,
you'd like to do a trial run with some nice elderly people
in need of errands, company and local driving ... like my
parents who live in Marin?
Try www.homeinstead.com for an idea of a company that
provides the sort of service you are describing (they are
nationwide). Might give you some ideas of how it could be
set up. I worked for a Home Instead franchise in NY for a
few years and really enjoyed it. My main thought about
doing the same work on my own would be concerns about not
always being available when you are needed. Working for a
company with other employees meant that days off (e.g.
holidays, when my kids were off from school, vacations) were
never a problem. That might be more challenging if you are
the only person and someone elderly is counting on you.
Anon
San Francisco Village (http://www.sfvillage.org/)is a
community-based membership organization that empowers adults
to live in their own homes as they age. They offer a network
of resources, services, programs, and activities that
revolve around members' daily living needs, their social,
cultural and educational desires, their ongoing health and
wellness, and member-to-member volunteer support. The
Village movement has spread to other cities, for example
Ashby Village in Berkeley
(http://www.ashbyvillage.org/Site/Welcome.html).
Rather than creating your own network, you may want to
check with them about hiring you.
You didn't mention your age, but another organization,
Coming of Age (http://www.comingofage.org/bayarea/), works
with adults 50 and over to help them figure out their goals
for the next stage of life and helps them find volunteer (or
sometimes paid) work. (They also work with organizations
looking for volunteers). If you're over 50 they could help
you in your job quest.
Good luck.
Nov 2009
Hello,
My friend is looking for a job as a helper to a senior citizen.
Looking for an advice about where she can post her candidacy as
well as any agency you could recommend that deals with those
kinds of positions. (except Town and Country).
Thanks so much!
Paula.
I am a former social worker who worked mostly in geriatrics and medical social work. I
also worked in hospice and that might be a good place to get some experience. She
might want to google bay area hospices (i.e. Hospice of the East Bay, Hope Hospice,
Kaiser, VNA, etc), as it might be a bit better than working for a homecare agency. She
might also wan to go to hospital websites to look at CNA like positions (i.e. Sutter,
Kaiser, Alta Bates, UCSF, etc). In hospitals she wouldn't just work w/the elderly, but
also with the adult population. Lastly, she might want to try looking into Center for
Elder's Independence (CEI), as they are a program that works to keep elderly 'aging in
place' in their homes. She could also try various skilled nursing homes....it won't be
such great work, but a place to start. Just some thoughts....good luck
anon
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