Help at home?

Jonesica

My father is mid-stage Alzheimer's at 73. He still lives at home with mom, and we are finding that to be the most comfortable and best situation at the moment. He goes to an adult day care a few days a week while my mom is working. My mom's schedule is going to change soon and there are 1-2 days per week when she needs to work late and he can't stay at the adult day care facilities. So we are looking for in-home care options. Where have people found good support? He needs someone more like a companion (but could also keep me entertained and make sure he eats dinner). Appreciate the advice!

April23

I have an aide part time with my dad. She is an absolute angel here on earth. I used the agency recommended by his first AL. She is $34/hr with a six hour daily minimum. You could see what resources your local agency on aging has or you could just Google home health agencies in your area and find one with good reviews. You might also ask the director of the adult daycare for a rec or if you’re friendly with any of the other residents’ carers at the daycare, you could ask them.

​fesk

I agree. See if there are recommendations. All agencies are independently owned and quality varies from one to the other. No one franchise is better than another. Speak to a few in your area and be clear about responsibilities. Best of luck.

ARIL

You can get a list of companies from your Area Agency on Aging (if you are in the US). Google that term with your state name, and you will find a list and contact info. They can also tell you about other available resources.

Asking your dad’s physician might also produce some leads.

For a while I hired home aides for my dad. I hired privately and later with an agency. My life was much better going through the agency, since they managed taxes, vacations, etc., themselves. Hiring privately can work if there is a lot of trust and if you have the time to handle taxes, but it was too hard for me to manage from a distance, especially when the person did not show up.

For us, the agency worked for a while, and then facility placement became necessary.