Agency help - is it easier to find FT or PT help?

[Anonymous]

Hello - my late 80’s parents are trying to navigate finding help through an agency. They are requesting 20 hours a week, but could use a lot more. The agency hasn’t found anyone, citing staffing shortages. In anyone’s experience, is it easier to find FT help (40 hours) as opposed to PT?

[Anonymous]

I haven't been noticing any staffing shortages recently, OP.

20 hours a week is a decent schedule. Have you tried other agencies? Are they in the DC metro area?

Make sure you are calling some agencies with a lot of connections to the particular neighborhood or city your parents live in.

[Anonymous]

Full time is easier, but the hardest is when you only want something like 10 hours or 5. Twenty is usually workable, but if you think they need more, schedule that. You have to allow for downtime. Nobody wants a low paying job where every second you are supposed to be cooking or bathing or doing light cleaning. Factor in allowing the person to sit and chat or even check their phone. It's much easier to keep a worker happy and pay for more hours than to expect a lot, try to get a bargain and keep having them adjust to new workers while you worry if this will be the one who loses her temper or steals.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the responses, we're all new to this. It's outside of the DC metro area. I'll check to see if there are other agencies.