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My parents are 91 and 93 - my Mom has Alzheimer's and Dad is beginning to experience cognitive decline. Their physical health is good. I am their primary caregiver and I need support. I have gone through agencies for respite care but I can't afford agency prices for the kind of long-term, ongoing care support I need. I have listed a job posting on Care.com and have found one person who is going to be a great help but I need to have more than one caregiver for my folks as I am going to have double knee surgery in February, and I will need caregivers to live in with them for a few weeks while I'm recovering/going through physical therapy. I can't have someone come to stay overnight with them if my parents have not become familiar and comfortable with them well in advance and that is why I'm seeking caregivers for daytime respite support now so that my parents can get to know the people who will be providing greater care for them when I am not able to be there.

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I was an in-home caregiver for almost 25 years. The last 15 were in private care. I'm going to tell you honestly.
Any reputable CNA who makes a private living in caregiving is not going to take temporary daytime work a few hours a day and stay overnight so they can take the job of caring for your parents for a few weeks. We have to make a living.
I think your best options are going to be putting your parents in a nursing home for a respite care stay. Medicare pays for a certain number of respite days. After those days are used up, bring in an agency-hired caregiver. Medicare will pay for some of it.
The kind of caregiver you're looking for isn't interested in taking a few weeks work. Not unless you can make it worth our while and that will cost more than what an agency will charge. Go with an agency in your case.
The payment that isn't covered by insurance comes out of your parent's money. Not yours. They pay for it.
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Go On YELP and type in Caregiver agencies - then your area they will Pop up and you can read the reviews of the agencies .
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freqflyer Oct 2022
When it comes to Yelp or Google referrals, be careful. Anyone can put in a review whether they had worked with someone or not. Even a competing caregiver can trash another for no reason at all.

My boss and I found found a few negative reviews, the reviews were written by people who were never our business Clients.
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Are you using your own money to hire caregivers? (I hope not.)

Do you have siblings that sit back and do nothing, letting you do it all? If this is the case, they should be the ones who step up at this time.
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I am willing to relocate so that I can help you
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Is either parent on hospice? Medicare will pay for some respite time on a yearly basis.
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LesleyC Oct 2022
Thank you for replying. No neither is on hospice - physical health is good.
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Check bulletin boards at assisted living places. Advertise on a neighborhood website. Check with churches because sometimes they have members that they know need extra money and can recommend someone to help you. Ask friends’ caregivers if they have friends in the profession who are looking for clients right now. Go sit in the lobby of a large assisted living community and strike up conversations with caregivers who are wheeling patients in and out. They or someone they know might have extra hours to fill. Ask at your parents’ doctor’s office if they know someone. You have to be pro-active.
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LesleyC Oct 2022
Thank you so much - this is very helpful!
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LesleyC, the key word here is "qualified". Finding someone outside of an Agency won't be easy, but there are some really good caregivers out there with good track records. You need to carefully vet them.

Make sure the caregiver is experienced with dementia, and knows what to do. If not, it won't work out.

Check with your State for caregiving laws regarding the number of hours one person can work. Some States won't allow a caregiver who had put in a full day to also be helping out in the middle of the night.

What about payroll and payroll taxes? There are companies that do payroll, they do charge a fee.

Check with your parents' insurance carrier to see if your parents are covered should a caregiver gets injured while helping your parents.
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LesleyC Oct 2022
Thank you so much - great information.
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Also if you belong to a church sometimes they can refer a caregiver.
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Ask everyone you know if they know of anyone that would fit the bill. Also caregiver support groups can be very helpful in that area, as I know in mine, several of the people have been able to recommend someone that they are using or have used in the past. You can even check with your church, as they may know of someone.
I found my aide after calling our local Senior Services and telling them what I was needing. They directed me to a woman who had worked for them for 13 years and had just left to go out on her own.
I wish you the best in finding the help you need.
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LesleyC Oct 2022
Thank you - I’ll take your advice.
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