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My mother is depressed because my dad just passed. We need someone to take care of her and accompany her while I’m work. How much does that typically cost?

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My wife is in the Middle Stage of Alzheimer's Dementia. After waking up from a nap during the day, or after waking me up in the middle of the night, she has been asking me "Are our grandkids still here?" or "Are my siblings still here." I always answer "No, they have gone home." Because she didn't believe me last night, we walked down our block searching for her siblings. When we returned, I told her the truth, that her siblings had NOT come to visit us; nevertheless, she called her sister to see if I was lying. As soon as the question was asked, her sister verified my answer.

Is there a term that fits this type of behavior? Is it typical for those who have dementia? What is the best way to deal with it?
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Beware of Care.com.

I lost two of their independent caregivers after one worked 2 days and the other just 1 day. They each worked 3 hours/day for $25/hr, but both of them quit with little notice, because they were offered full-day jobs.

Now I am trying to hire a caregiver from "Home Instead." They require a 4-hour minimum per shift and a 12-hour minimum per week, and their time blocks are fixed at 8 am - noon, 12:30 - 4:30 pm and 5:00 - 9:00 pm. They "typically" provide 1 or 2 backups for the primary caregiver.
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DragonGee64: Prayers sent.
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Sorry for your loss. Costs will vary based on where you live. Our town's Senior Center has a supervised supportive day program that a senior can join half or full day at a reasonable cost. They were also a good place to get information about resources. When I was looking, I found that companion care (talk, play games, do puzzles) was less expensive than hands on care (shower, dress).
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Sorry to learn that you just lost your father. My condolences for your mother and you.

Here is one website to seek: https://friendofamerica.org
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My mother, who lived in assisted living, had a companion who helped her dress for the day and then took her out most days to lunch, movie, and shopping. In my opinion, this was way over the top, but my father hired the companions because he wanted to live his own life without mom constantly pestering him to do this or that. This kind of care would be cost-prohibitive for most people, but it worked for them.

There are volunteers who will visit people who need company, and also there are phone programs where a volunteer will call to chat with shut-ins or others who need attention. One program was run by AARP, but I don't know if it's still available.

Where I live, a sitter would cost $20 - $25 an hour. They'll play games with the elderly, perhaps drive them around, go out for meals (you pay for the sitter's), and miscellaneous.
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Mother In law with early onset dementia still on her own while we look for places has several ‘loops’- now it’s looking for her 2nd cat that has been gone for 3 years. Am trying to tell her that he’s been gone and we then change the subject, but then less than an hour, later it starts up again….
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Hello I took care of my mother who suffered from Alzhemeirs and Dementia I enrolled her at a neighborhood senior facility for 4-5 hours on the days I worked.. The facility was great they provided many different activities and breakfast and lunch. She really enjoyed talking to other seniors that were her age. Another thing I did with my mother was looking at old pictures of her and my father which brought back great memories.
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Care.com and also Nextdoor.com for recent and honest reviews by your actual community of neighbors.

You may need to work througha few people so that you get someone who has the right experience and/or chemistry with your Mom. I had to do that for my 2 elderly Aunts, but it was worth the effort. They loved their companion to pieces and had her for 6 solid years of 30 hrs/week. She is now a family friend.

Also maybe consider meds for depression of a while. I also agree with grief counseling, if she'll go.
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Check on Next Door in your community. You can join it and pose your question, asking neighbors in your area for recommendations. You’ll likely get good and negative reviews as well as people offering their services
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What about some grief counseling?
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Ask around with local church groups or Office on Aging. I hired a companion for my father. It was $15 an hour with a minimum of 3 hours. It worked out really well but I just couldn't get my father to agree to have her come two days a week. And the other issue was that he thought she was 'on call' just for him. He refused to understand that she had other clients and if he refused to schedule her she would not just show up because he decided last minute he wanted her there.
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I'm so sorry for your loss.

I've just started looking on care.com and seeing avg $25 to $30 per hour, depending on tasks involved. I'd start there to get a feel for the average in your area. If your mom is lower income perhaps the elder services in your area would be less. And call various agencies which will be more bc they handle all the payroll etc.
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Sorry, we aren't a for-hire agency, just a bunch of caregivers chatting about care and caregiving.
You will need to check in your area through agencies or through care.com or other options.
Wishing you good luck.
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