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

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@fwentz

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!

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Replies to "Great questions, Becky. They were just the ones we found ourselves looking for answers to at..."

Thanks for the information about Visiting Angels. I am going to reach out to them this week basic upon your comments and suggestions.

Is Visiting Angels covered, in any way, by Medicare and Blue Cross as supplemental?

Thank you for this detail. We’ve also used Visiting Angels, and found them to be most helpful. I didn’t think about changing caregivers, though. My husband wasn’t fond of the last one and we stopped the service. We may give them a try again as they really do provide respite care for the caregiver as well as tend to the one needing care.