Temporary live-in help for elderly parent?

[Anonymous]

My mom is 90 and lives in a senior community. She also has a beach house 3 hours away, where she likes to go for 2 months in the summer. It's getting to the point where she needs light care -- not aroun-the-clock care, necessarily, but someone to cook dinner, do shopping and be kind of "eyes and ears" on the ground. Ideally it would be a live-in person, but only for 2 months while she's at the beach. Any ideas for agencies to contact?

[Anonymous]

College student?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:College student?

I could see that. The beach is right there and the house is nice, so that's a selling point. I just don't want a partier. Someone who wants to study for the mcat in a beautiful location would be ideal.

[Anonymous]

OP I would get an eldercare expert to assess her needs and advise you so when you advertise this job, you give an accurate description. The person likely needs to be bonded and insured. Also, there needs to be boundaries. There is the potential to take advantage, especially with a college student. Jobs have start times and end times. What if your mom has an emergency at night and needs to be rushed to the hospital? What if she falls after hours?

It is pretty easy to find easy jobs while studying for MCATs, etc. You need to be honest in your description. You may think your mom is low needs, but you need an expert to see just what those needs really are and it may not be such a good idea to hire someone without training.

[Anonymous]

Just posted, but wanted to add, the way agencies work is "live in" help is people doing shifts. I know you say your mother doesn't have many needs, but if you want someone living there, you would need shifts because even expecting someone there "just in case" is expecting that person to "work" at a moment's notice which includes that fall getting out of bed to use the bathroom at 3am.