If you had 24/7 help with elder care for a time

[Anonymous]

Elderly relative is coming to a family member’s home after a hospital stay soon, and we are trying to arrange 24/7 care for
the short term, with hope that we can gradually reduce it over time.

If you did this, how did you schedule it? I am seeing people talking about 8 hour shifts, but I wonder if it would be disruptive to have someone coming and going in the night when he is sleeping. Is 2 12 hour overnight people splitting the week realistic? They could sleep when he sleeps, although I assume I pay the same asleep or awake.

If we do that do we have to pay overtime for the 4 hours or just over 40 a week?

[Anonymous]

For my in laws, it was two 12 hour shifts per day. Usually 3-4 caregivers covering the weekdays and weekends. Fwiw, it averaged $20,000.a month. That was two years ago.

[Anonymous]

Also meant to say that it was 7 am - 7 pm,
7 pm - 7 am shifts.

[Anonymous]

I had elder care 24x7 at an independent living facility. I used 4 caretakers. They each worked 12 hour shifts. Two covered Monday through Thursday and two covered Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Monday through Thursday shift were paid overtime for the extra 8 hours per week above 40 for their shifts. I used an agency to manage the coverage.

[Anonymous]

We just did this last summer in another state.

Ours was most often 12 hours shifts. Occasionally 8 hour shifts during the week and the person would come around 6am, with shift changes at 2pm and 10pm. We paid an hourly rate to a woman who ran a service and provided all the people, so we did not see any overtime specifically however it may have been built into her model. We just paid hourly rate and were guaranteed someone would be there.

It ended up being about$11k a week.

Not cheap.

[Anonymous]

We've done both shifts but 2 twelve hour shifts worked better. You are more likely to have coverage.

[Anonymous]

7:54 here

We paid the same for overnight shift. We also allowed the overnight shift to sleep on the couch.

[Anonymous]

I just used a company for 24/7 coverage while my mom was in rehab. It was $34 an hour and they worked 12 hour shifts. I actually hired and fired one company because they were horrible (came late, left early and basically just hired warm bodies). The shifts were 7-7 or 8-8.

Honestly I could have hired people on my own for less but having to manage that in addition to dealing with everything else was too daunting for me. And my mom was in rehab during some inclement weather so it was nice to have the company deal with that.

I did feel like I was burning money in a fire pit though.

[Anonymous]

The easiest way to start will be with an agency and they’ll help you with the schedule. In my experience it’s just a shifting jigsaw puzzle based on people’s schedules and you may end up with some gaps so think about when/how you can handle that.

[Anonymous]

Also, OP, you’ll sign a thing that says you can’t poach people. But you can. So form good relationships with the best aides as quickly as you can. Chat with them about your longer term plans/needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just used a company for 24/7 coverage while my mom was in rehab. It was $34 an hour and they worked 12 hour shifts. I actually hired and fired one company because they were horrible (came late, left early and basically just hired warm bodies). The shifts were 7-7 or 8-8.

Honestly I could have hired people on my own for less but having to manage that in addition to dealing with everything else was too daunting for me. And my mom was in rehab during some inclement weather so it was nice to have the company deal with that.

I did feel like I was burning money in a fire pit though.

All of this. We had one last month for my mom. $33/hr in 12 hour shifts 8am-8pm. Definitely go through an agency. They were fine but we switched agencies when she no longer needed 24 hour care. Stepped down to daily then a few times a week. I think it’s $30/ hr now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, OP, you’ll sign a thing that says you can’t poach people. But you can. So form good relationships with the best aides as quickly as you can. Chat with them about your longer term plans/needs.

This is true. One caregiver confided she made $20 an hour off the $34 an hour I was paying the company. And I believe she was a 1099 so it’s not like she got benefits. I could have poached her for a happy medium for us both but in my case it was a short term issue and I didn’t have the bandwidth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also, OP, you’ll sign a thing that says you can’t poach people. But you can. So form good relationships with the best aides as quickly as you can. Chat with them about your longer term plans/needs.

This is true. One caregiver confided she made $20 an hour off the $34 an hour I was paying the company. And I believe she was a 1099 so it’s not like she got benefits. I could have poached her for a happy medium for us both but in my case it was a short term issue and I didn’t have the bandwidth.

Yes, this happens all the time but you will both need to be comfortable parting with the agency. But if you have someone good and you can give them the hours they need, it works out.

[Anonymous]

legal penalties for violating the contract

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:legal penalties for violating the contract

This.

Also realize what kind of person you are hiring to care for your vulnerable family member. If they are willing to do this, what other immoral/illegal things are they willing to do if it benefits them?
You have absolutely no right to complain if you find them stealing, beating your loved one, etc. because you already knew exactly what you were getting into.