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Several times while my parents were hospitalized I paid my private caregivers part of their full pay just to keep them. Once a caregiver was paid to be at the hospital evenings. While in rehab I hired them to spend evenings with my dad who needed extra help.

Do what you can to offer help. My caregivers were happy to clean their apartment and do anything.

I was very blessed to have these ladies.
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One item not raised thus far is to remember that in some cases, patients are not released from the hospital to home unless there’s a caregiver at home. So if you have a good caregiver, you might want to consider this
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I see both sides here, but if I was satisfied with the caregiver’s care, then I would pay her full salary rather than risk losing her.

All of the answers from previous posts are good. There are a couple of responses that I especially agree with though, I agree with Stacy to check the workman’s compensation to see if she is covered for housekeeping.

I also like the point that cwille made about not biting the hand that feeds her, especially since her employer has been very good to her.

Each person should show respect and gratitude for each other. It’s an equal partnership. They are dependent upon each other. Therefore, they shouldn’t be in a power struggle with one another.
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I would tell the caregiver something like this.

”I need help cleaning for moms return. I’d rather pay you over hiring someone else, so I figured I would ask you first.”

Then she can take it or leave it. If she leaves, she was probably going to find some reason to, anyway.
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This person is CNA? My daughter is an RN who specializes in woundcare and just fought for 95k a year on a new job. Thats about $45 a hour.

Since Burnt has done this type of work and now owns a business, I would go with half pay. But she did do some work, so maybe this time give her full pay.
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Do a simple math, few days, how much will that cost you?
If you let her go, if you employ her properly is she not entitled to pay in lieu of notice? And if you need to find somebody else fast? Probably not that easy and possibly more expensive.
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OK your updates make a big difference, although there may be tons of other job opportunities for caregivers there are few if any than hand out $5K holiday bonuses as well as a generous weekly paycheck with enough free hours per week to enable secondary employment, IMO the power balance is definitely in your favour and she is the one who should be thinking twice before biting the hand that feeds her.
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BurntCaregiver Mar 2023
@cwillie

I was a caregiver for several years to a man who handed out a 5K Christmas bonus to his caregivers every year. If the family can afford it, why not?
Bottom line.
If they want to keep the caregiver then pay her not to give another client the hours.
(5)
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about your response to my response...(that's convoluted!)
You are paying this caregiver well above what she would make working for an agency or working for someone else.
So there is a good possibility that you would not lose her as a caregiver.
Maybe split the difference. If she is not working because your loved one is in the hospital pay her half her normal rate.
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If you expect this caregiver to continue to keep you on her schedule then she has to be paid to not take other work while the client is in the hospital.
I did private-pay caregiving for many years and was in exactly this situation many times. A client gets hospitalized. Or has to temporarily go into rehab. Or goes on a vacation. Whatever.
What I always did was insist on half pay to keep them on my schedule and I do nothing. If a client or their family still expects me to clean the house and visit the client in the hospital, then it's full pay.
I always charged hourly and the price is the price. Half pay if I'm keeping you on the schedule. Full pay if you expect me to clean and stay with the client.
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JoAnn29 Mar 2023
This aide is being paid $40 an hr for 3-8hr days and gets a 5k bonus at Christmas. Don't u think she is being paid very well?
(9)
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This is kind of a question without a "right" or "wrong".
If this person is highly valued by you and by your relation she is caring for, then I can see that the circumstances of the patient being in care leaves her without a paycheck.
She does seem, at the same time, to harbor an attitude a tad "entitled". Shows a great unwillingness to be present to perform some other small tasks.

I would say that this is up to you. Making this a gentle "No" leaves you at risk of losing someone who you may otherwise value, and with all the vagaries of hiring another caregiver.

For myself, were I well able to afford this, I would pay her and allow her some few days off for a week. A bit of paid freedom--a gift. Not something I would/could do for long, and I would make that clear.

Ball seems to be in your court. I think no one would judge your decision either way.
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Do they allow sitters in the hospital? I've had cases where I would sit with the client and nothing more. She could still do her regular duties, but since the client is in the hospital, find out if she could sit with your loved one during this time.

It is difficult finding good caregivers these days. Pay her if you want to keep her.
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Tandemfun4us Mar 2023
I agree with having caregiver being a sitter/carer in the hospital. Every-time for the past several years, I have been in the hospital with a family member or my husband BECAUSE the care in a hospital is not a quick response (maybe due to staffing or union rules or other patients’ needs). In the hospital, I was able to care by fluffing pillows, companionship/talking/reading, quick attention to toileting needs and getting ice or water or help with food. Her hours can remain the same and she can still do the job of being a caregiver AND your loved one will have consistent care which is important-elderly do not handle change well and decline quick. A lady in my mom’s MC forgot how to walk after a hospitalization and has not recovered to her prior abilities.
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Pay her. She could have found other work for the time in the hospital, but she planned on setting the time aside for you. You want to keep her? Pay her.

Is she a cash employee? If she were paid legally she could file unemployment for those days.
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How long do you expect the hospital stay to be?
If it is for a few days I would go ahead and pay the caregiver.
There are a few reasons for this,.
1. Your caregiver can not accept another job for a few days so while your loved one is in the hospital your caregiver still has bills to pay, food to put on her table. Not having an income is difficult.
2. If you want to keep this caregiver paying her for a few days of "vacation" is well worth keeping a good caregiver and not have to go through the hassle of hiring and training a new one.

If this is going to be an extended hospitalization and possibly a bit of time in rehab you might want to let the caregiver know so she can look for another job. It might be that you lose this one or if given notice she might give notice to another job if she gets one. (and if she is good I imagine kit will be easy for them to find employment)
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Invisible0ne Mar 2023
Thank you for answering my question.
This all started over a few day hospital stay - not prolonged. If it were prolonged, of course it’d be a completely different situation.
And Golly gosh…I gave her a gift of over $5k at Christmas for “vacations”. She gets paid over $1k a week for 3 eight hour shifts. Like I said, we all want job security, we all got bills to pay. I’m paying more than double of what she’d earn under any local agency. I have 3 other caregivers interested in working for me currently. I have absolutely no qualms about more than fair compensation. The work ain’t easy. But, if compensation without work is a common entitlement for private pay caregivers, then perhaps hiring thru agencies is better. I’m just curious if all this common for private pay caregivers. This issue has not been brought up by any other private (PTs come to mind) hires for patient care.
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If you want to keep a good caregiver you would do well to remember that they have bills to pay whether they are coming into the home or not, there is no shortage of others who need care (in my area many agencies even have wait lists) and they may simply not be available when the patient returns home.
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