Going Rates for In-Home Caregiver for Elderly Parent(s)

[Anonymous]

Looking for a qualified caregiver to do in home care / companionship for an elderly parent, and also help with weekly chores (laundry) and meal assembly-prep 2-3 days a week to assist the other elderly parent -- who currently needs respite from caregiving and taking care of everything.

I prefer someone who has experience working with the elderly and possibly some nursing background, but is more of a home helper. The elderly parent who needs more of a nursing type of professional is in mid-80s and has a heart condition, also mild cognitive decline.

Is it best to go through an agency? Does anyone know what the hourly going rates are?

Also, are there vetted places where one can post to find people looking for these kinds of jobs?

The only thing about going through the staffing agency is that I think it may be more expensive and also they only want to book people for 4 hour minimum blocks of time, which isn't always necessary unless that person is also doing other home tasks (see above).

Any resources are appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Going through a care agency is more expensive, but ensures there are some screeners, they are bonded and insured, etc. If you want someone with a nursing background you will pay more. It doesn't matter that they are not actively doing nurse duties. You are paying for a level of education and experience as well.

Even caregivers you hire directly usually want at least 4 hours a day.

There is high turnover so recommending a caregiving agency does not mean the best people are still there.

If you want to keep the workers you hire I would not expect them to be actively doing things the entire time unless you pay for that. If you expect every second to be cleaning, cooking, bathing, etc and don't factor in paid down time then the person may quit. Also, if you find someone good directly, I recommend giving bonuses for things like holidays, birthdays and raises each year. It is VERY hard to find quality care.

[Anonymous]

We paid $35 per hour for a minimum of four hour shifts. We went through an agency and frankly I felt the care was sub-par. They spent most of their time looking at their phones. And my mom’s opiate painkillers disappeared around the same time, although several people had access to her place. I’d probably try Care.com if I had to find another person to hire.

[Anonymous]

It's nearly impossible to find, especially around here OP. I"m sorry to say. The care is horrendous and costs at least $35 an hour. At least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looking for a qualified caregiver to do in home care / companionship for an elderly parent, and also help with weekly chores (laundry) and meal assembly-prep 2-3 days a week to assist the other elderly parent -- who currently needs respite from caregiving and taking care of everything.

I prefer someone who has experience working with the elderly and possibly some nursing background, but is more of a home helper. The elderly parent who needs more of a nursing type of professional is in mid-80s and has a heart condition, also mild cognitive decline.

Is it best to go through an agency? Does anyone know what the hourly going rates are?

Also, are there vetted places where one can post to find people looking for these kinds of jobs?

The only thing about going through the staffing agency is that I think it may be more expensive and also they only want to book people for 4 hour minimum blocks of time, which isn't always necessary unless that person is also doing other home tasks (see above).

Any resources are appreciated.

OP, like a house search, you need to figure out what are the most important qualities you are seeking then focus accordingly. If the most important thing is to hire someone who is on call, able to work for less than 4 hours/day, and for less than $35/hour, then put that in the ad. Based on the responses (or lack thereof), you'll see if that works for your needs.

Yes, you may be able to find someone who just wants to pick up money here and there, but that's generally incredibly rare as most folks require a steady, stable income on a weekly basis to survive.

[Anonymous]

Try Nextdoor. I found a lot of caregivers that came with referrals from actual neighbors, plus a lot of great advice too. I just searched "caregiver."

[Anonymous]

I’m currently using someone I found on Care.com. That’s after we had tried people from an agency. (You can run a background check through care.com).

My SIL also works as a caregiver in another city. Her advice is to try to age-match if possible. Don’t expect a 20-something to care for an 80-something.

We have a 70-something assisting a 60-something.

[Anonymous]

We went through an agency and paid $25 an hour but they required 6 hours a day for 4 days a week. My Mom tried it for a month but it was too much and was stressful for her having someone around that much. She's 83 and mentally in great shape but has physical issues and needs help with laundry and minor tasks. After a month, she let the person go and is back to doing her own laundry. I try to help her as much as possible but I can understand not wanting someone in my house so often.

[Anonymous]

You need to decide if you want a housekeeper type person who cleans/cooks and helps out around the house or someone who provides nursing care. It will be tough to find one person to do both and anyone who provides nursing care will be more expensive.

My ILs who live in a very low cost of living area pay someone around $15 an hour to come in 4 hours a day 5 days a week and do light housework, prepare simple breakfasts and lunches and sit with my MIL (who has dementia) while my FIL runs errands or focuses on other things. I'm honestly shocked they found someone for that price but its just a retired lady who lives in their neighborhood and needs the extra cash. My ILs are in their late 80s and the caregiver is in her early 70s. You're more likely to find someone like that through word of mouth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We went through an agency and paid $25 an hour but they required 6 hours a day for 4 days a week. My Mom tried it for a month but it was too much and was stressful for her having someone around that much. She's 83 and mentally in great shape but has physical issues and needs help with laundry and minor tasks. After a month, she let the person go and is back to doing her own laundry. I try to help her as much as possible but I can understand not wanting someone in my house so often.

Does she have a housekeeper? Perhaps that may be the way to go - hire someone to clean, do laundry, etc on a weekly basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to decide if you want a housekeeper type person who cleans/cooks and helps out around the house or someone who provides nursing care. It will be tough to find one person to do both and anyone who provides nursing care will be more expensive.

My ILs who live in a very low cost of living area pay someone around $15 an hour to come in 4 hours a day 5 days a week and do light housework, prepare simple breakfasts and lunches and sit with my MIL (who has dementia) while my FIL runs errands or focuses on other things. I'm honestly shocked they found someone for that price but its just a retired lady who lives in their neighborhood and needs the extra cash. My ILs are in their late 80s and the caregiver is in her early 70s. You're more likely to find someone like that through word of mouth.

This may happen more readily in a low COL area, a rural area, etc. When our grandfather died, my mom and her siblings hired a widow to come in and check on our grandmother. This worked for some time with some increased hours based on increased need, but wasn't sustainable when she became more agitated with age and dementia.

But this is probably not likely in most areas of the DMV and other high COL areas.

[Anonymous]

Our caregiver is a widow. We pay her cash. In Virginia.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PPs. The best help we are getting is someone not too far apart in age. She’s an empty nester. And that’s great advice about taking good care of good help when you find it. It can take time to try out different caregivers to find the right fit.

Taking care of *2*elderly people and doing chores and having a nursing type of background sounds like asking for a lot tbh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our caregiver is a widow. We pay her cash. In Virginia.

DP. How did you find her? And what is her hourly rate?

[Anonymous]

I’m the person you quoted with the widow to whom we pay cash…

We used Care.com. And we pay $20/hr plus mileage if she drives on errands.