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Thank you for the valuable responses to my previous post. I have accepted a live in position for a male stroke patient. He requires basically only supervision getting in and out of bed and standing to sit and pivot to his toilet. He can shower himself but I do wash his back and feet due to his limited ROM. Super nice family, and I truly have prayed a long time to have a patient as kind as he is. Hes just so grateful for any help. So last night I sat down with his daughter and snl to discuss my terms. The house is 3000+sf on a lake. There will also be two other ladies living here in exchange for rent and will be fill in's to give me time off. I am the main caregiver and was given the option of hourly pay or salary. After spending an entire week to get a feel for the level of care needed, I choose the salary option. For me, it just made more sense. We all have our own bedrooms and bathrooms. I will not be doing any grocery shopping, prescription pick ups ect, the family has agreed to handle all of that. I will just give his daughter a list of all needed items. He has a physical and occupational therapist who come to the house and on days they are not here I do physical therapy with him ( I am qualified) which are dexterity exercises, rom, and strenght building in his upper body and leg exercises to help redevelop movement on his affected side. I've been with him 2weeks and already see significant positive changes which is helping him to realize he can eventually walk again and graduate up to a walker. Considering my past in home care, he is an absolute prayers answered and by far the easiest and most enjoyable patient I've cared for. I feel so incredibly fortunate to live in such a beautiful home. It's peaceful, I have time for myself and my dog and his (both 14 years old) get along great. Ive only met one of the other girls once and my inital gut feeling we will work well together. They are both from the famlies church the attend and both are young21+ .Boundaries are set for no over night guests and they must buy their own food. They will have their own refrigerator, able to come and go as needed except when filling in for my time off. There will be a set schedule for them with the expection to hold to their agreement in helping with household chores, supervision of the patient while im scheduled off. Each week we will all sit down and figure out who works when and who has time off ect. In general its a very relaxed home with a welcoming and peaceful vibe. I am not stuck here, if I need to leave for some errands I am able to do that, the same goes for the girls. The patient rests often in his bed, reading or watching a movie so there is alot of down time. With three of us, someone will always be here to assist and supervise the patient. I'll update again at the end of the month. I should mention I have not moved in yet and will towards the end of September because I was required to give notice to my landlord so for now I'm still working hourly at $20 per hour.

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Seems then you have it all under controll and so does his family. Sounds like a dream come true. $20 an hour as a live in and how you explain things seems good pay.

Please when responding keep to your original thread. It makes it a lot easier to follow your story.
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This sounds great, but I’d nail down some things still.

1. if he dies or goes to a home, how long do you have to remain there, and for what period will you be paid?

2. What expectations, if any, exist on your being on your phone or iPad during actual non time off?

3. Is everyone expected to pay for their own food, including cgs?

4. Is your income being taken into consideration by the irs?
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You chose salary over hourly... I'm an employer and in my corporate experience a salaried employee can be asked to work many more hours without further compensation. If this is not the expectation in your situation, then what was the deciding factor to choose salary? I'm just curious.

- is your contract in writing?
- are you being paid by check and not cash? If by check, does the family know this makes you their employee and therefore they need to follow the labor laws for your state? (withholding, quarterly reporting, W2, etc)
- what is the plan if you are sick on a work day? Are the other women prepared to cover?
- are there cameras in the house?

It sounds like a great gig...I hope it all goes well for everyone involved.
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Wonderful! Good luck in your new job.
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**Follow Up**Try and answer everyone's questions, I do have a written contract drawn up by an Attorney, I choose salary over hourly mainly because he requires very little assistance outside of laundry, light house keeping and meal preparation. This is a very relaxed home with down time which I am paid for, I am,also free to leave and do any errands if needed. His family is also very attentive and involved in his care. Should he become ill and hospitalized, Im still paid my entire salary, the same if I become sick. I HAVE ALWAYS worked within a client's budget. This has never been about money. Caring for others is my soul's purpose and it truly makes me happy. I have taken nothing from some clients because I knew they couldn't afford it and in return rewarded beyond my dreams. Helping someone through a rough transition and helping to restore their health to much better than when I first met them is my reward, and im perfectly good with it. My salary here is quite generous, more than I asked for because it is my intention to remain here for a good long while. I have negotiated everything that is important to me and I'm fortunate that his daughter and snl are placing my happiness as a priority so with that said, everything could not be better. As for how I'm paid, I am paid by check and they are following all required laws. Should he pass away I have it in writing for 120 days (rent free) to find other arrangements. During this time, I negotiated a severence package which is satisfactory for all involved. Also at my request and in writing it states that should for whatever reason things are not working out, I have 45 days to find other arrangements. I feel very confident that I have done my due diligence and I'm quite happy with my decision in taking this position. I hope this covers all the questions, if Ive missed any let me know.
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