Recommendation for In Home Caregiver

rpcasillas

Hello,

My 90 year old mother with Alzheimer's disease has been living with me for close to two years now and her symptoms have slowly escalated during that time. She has begun to have short outbursts of aggression that are totally opposite her normal gentile personality. I have been able to quickly calm her down by reassuring her in various ways that she is safe and that nobody is going to hurt her, etc., etc. 

This past year has been somewhat difficult for us (my husband and son also live in the house and help care for her). The stress of everything is always there underlying our daily lives. That being said, I do think we are at the point where we need additional help. To start, maybe a couple of hours of respite relief a day.  I have researched some of the local in home caregiving services and have called a couple of them and I end up being more confused after I hang up. 

I'll cut to the chase. Does anyone out there have a recommendation for a qualified, reliable, trustworthy, experienced, affordable in home caregiver in the Los Angeles county area? I live in the Pico Rivera, Whittier area. 

Any words of wisdom as my family and I face the immediate future and what this disease may bring would also be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks,

Rosie

May flowers

I asked everyone from nurses to posting on Nextdoor to get the name of a reputable agency. One agency came up over and over so we have just started with a caregiver from them. This agency did require a 5 hour daily minimum which is a little more than we need now, but will be helpful down the road.

rpcasillas

You are awesome! Thanks for the help! It means a lot!

Jo C.

Hello Rosie, it is a bit difficult when looking for experienced assistance when only needing a couple of  hours a day.  Most agencies want to have a minimum of five hours a day.    Private aides who work for themselves most often want a fulltime job as they need the income.

Sometimes, agencies will supply that five hour a day person using an aide that is in between jobs; then when  fulltime position becomes available, the aide will leave to take more hours on a consistent basis and the agency again fills the shorter spot with another aide waiting for a fulltime position.   Sometimes, however, there will be an aide who is wanting the shorter day, so it is always good to check out the facts when hiring so you do not get got short having to change aides multiple times.

Sometimes, a church will have a member who does such work on a part time basis; always worth a try as well as contacting local senior centers to see what they have listed for assistance.  Some larger senior centers have part time social workers who can sometimes assist.

NOTE:  I noticed that you write that your mother has had some negative changes to her behavior.  When that happens, it is always a good idea to have the Loved One (LO) checked for a "silent" urinary tract infection. Those UTIs are called, "silent," because they often have no physical symptoms such as pain or burning BUT there will often be a change in behavior to the very negative side of the ledger and it can be rather dramatic.  If that is the issue, once treated the person usually returns to their usual ways of behaving.  Worth having it checked out.

So hope that you will be able to find the assistance you are looking for; best of luck and best wishes being sent your way,

J.

rpcasillas

Thank you so much for this invaluable information. I will have her checked for a UTI asap. 

I really do appreciate you and this community for the support. It brings me comfort knowing that I am not alone. 

Rosie

live in daughter

Hi Rosie, you may want to check with local nursing colleges. Students may be interested in picking up some hours in caregiving.

Hope this helps.