She takes total care. Her only mental health issue is untreatable depression. We live in the country and are told by our caregiving agency that caregivers from their small town don't want to go into the more rural area and this makes it too hard to help us with stable care. We don't ask for just one caregiver because they are here 4 times a day. We have asked for 3 or 4 regular ones They train them to work with my daughter, then move them somewhere else. Sometimes I find strangers in my kitchen when I get up. Sometimes I knock on my bathroom door and someone comes out that I've never met. It's very unsettling.
I'm a 20 yr old girl who takes care of my 60 yr old mother with MS. She has needed homecare for almost a decade now (the only other place is NH). 59 caregivers in 9 years sounds lower than her number!! It is so very hard to find someone to even just come day after day. In the past few months, we have been thru 4 agencies... all who seem to have no caregivers equipped to take care of her. A few have denied us service bc bathing her, helping with bathroom care, and talking to her is "too difficult" day after day. I train many different people coming in, and it sure is tiring.. I wish I had an answer to your problem. We are still going thru much of the same. I also live in PA. I hope you find much support here, and tht soon you find help for your daughter. My thoughts are with you.
The goal should always be to have a regular group of caregivers, people who are familiar with your daughter and whom your daughter is familiar with. There are many reasons why there is a revolving door of caregivers. Someone quits. Someone needs different hours. Many caregivers are students so maybe they have other obligations. You said you live in a rural area, that might be a reason although that sounds more like an excuse than a reason. A caregiver is allowed to turn a job down and is given the address of the client. If it's too far the caregiver can turn the job down right then and there.
You said your daughter requires complete care. Like, 24/7 care? And you have 4 shifts around the clock? That would be 4 6-hour shifts. Have you tried different hours? Instead of 4 6-hour shifts have you tried 3 8-hour shifts? Or 2 12-hour shifts? Smaller, more frequent shifts are difficult to staff but your agency won't tell you that.
On the flip side, most caregivers appreciate continuity as well. They don't like to bop around from job to job. When a caregiver finds a case that works she tends to hang onto it for dear life. I'm a nurse and I see the turnover in patient's homes where their caregivers are concerned and everyone feels the same way about it: the family, the client, the caregiver, and the agency. Everyone wants the same caregivers on a regular basis. The agency wants you to be happy, they don't want to lose your business. But sometimes it just doesn't work out like that so the agency has to figure out a way to get regular people in there on a regular basis.
If you haven't done so already I would encourage you to speak to your agency about this. I know how frustrating it is. You deserve a regular group of gals. Everyone does.
Keep searching, don't give up.