← Return to In-home care can often be of great help for caregivers

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@becsbuddy

@fwentz I’m so glad you found Sabrina! It can be so difficult to find the right person, can't it? Was Sabrina found through an agency or word-of-mouth? We’re you able to find substitutes when Sabrina was ill or out of town? Lots of questions, I know, but we’ve been looking for a home health aide for our Mom and we live several hours, by plane, away. Not an easy task.
We’re there any county or state agencies that gave you good advice?

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Replies to "@fwentz I’m so glad you found Sabrina! It can be so difficult to find the right..."

Great questions, Becky. They were just the ones we found ourselves looking for answers to at the time. We found Sabrina through Visiting Angels. It was a local resource recommended to us by the local state agency which here was called Aging and Long Term Care. ALTC assigned a case worker to us provided continuity to meet our needs as they changed as the disease progressed. They had lots of good information about helpful resources in our community.
Visiting Angels also assigned a supervisor to me who arranged for substitutes when needed. Over time I developed a preference for certain ones and the supervisor did her best to arrange it if schedules could be matched.
The caregiver (usually Sabrina) made notes in a journal (that stayed in our home) about what she did while she was here and how things went with Judy. We coordinated well together and helped each other "problem solve" as changes in Judy's behavior happened. The supervisor stopped by every month or two to look at the journal and to ask me questions about the caregiver's care.
I was very pleased with the way things eventually worked out but it took a couple of months before we got settled down with Sabrina. I would guess she was the 4th or 5th caregiver. It's not easy for the supervisor because many of the caregivers are fully scheduled and even if she knows which one(s) would be best for us, it's partly a matter of waiting until they have a schedule opening and are available.
Sabrina was able each week to give Judy a safe shower and pamper her a little (Sabrina would say "The Queen is going to the spa today!" And I would say "It's great to be Queen!" Sabrina would also do some light house cleaning when Judy was comfortable with her coloring books and gel pens or watching the Great British Baking Show on TV.
Maybe there is a friend or neighbor of your mother that can meet with the caregiver when she is with your mother to oversee how things are going. Otherwise, you may be able to have them email copies of the journal entries or phone you frequently to learn how things are going and to exchange ideas on what to do.
I hope you and your mother get together with a great caregiver!