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Hug5LBstart Asked September 2014

What should a live in caregiver be paid?

I use my car, gas is paid at 55 cents a mile. I do have an evening off and more if needed. I can take 2 days off once a month. I help dress, watch as they walk with walker, take shopping, The person has dementia. and reminds me of a 5 year old..with a million questions and repeats. .Assistance with shower and pedicure & hair, message if needed. All errands, and appointments. Clean house and (but every 6 weeks someone comes) tend to yard, watering, trimming, no mowing. Shopping and meals. I am companion, helper. I can take some time off to tend to my errands but still check in and not for very long. I do need more alone time and social time. I am receiving $700 a month. I believe I need a raise. Please help asap.

sooz55 Sep 2014
One day off a month? How do you do it? In California, minimum wage is $9/hr plus I'm quite sure there is a federal regulation stating all employees must have minimum 2 days off per work week - that's WEEK not per month. Do they have you as a 1099 too? That means YOU are responsible for taxes at the end of the year and your employer goes scott free.

bookluvr Sep 2014
Ha! You beat me to it! You found the above site. sigh.. It's really up to you how much you're willing to work so hard for such little pay and such little day off. If you go back to the search engine, keep scrolling, you might find something to help you. But, I think, if you read the thread, the best thing to do is check what's the going rate in your state. And based on your education/work experience. My older sis lives with us. She watches dad (she doesn't do pampers, doesn't clean house or wash dishes or cooks meals) Monday-Friday from 8am-6:30pm/7:00pm. We pay her $320/month.

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bookluvr Sep 2014
You can also do your own research. See the top page on the right "SEARCH SITE"?
Type in "live in caregiver", then you can click on the discussions that you think applies to you.

Check out this link. Click on it, and it will take you to the discussion:

https://www.agingcare.com/questions/What-should-a-live-in-Caregiver-be-paid-salary-133599.htm?cpage=1

bookluvr Sep 2014
I'm not a paid caregiver. I do know that there is some kind of federal law about all kinds of employment situations. Even though your a live-in paid caregiver, I do know that you're suppose to have set hours per week. This includes at least 1 full day off - a real day off and not using your leave to do errands for your employer. Work errands should be done during working hours. I do know that you're suppose to have a lunch hour.

You get $700/month. Divide that into 4 weeks (in a month) = $175.00 a week. Let's pretend you work 5 days a week, $175.00 divide by 5 days = $35.00/day income. Divide that $35/day into 8 hour shift = $4.38 an hour. That is what you're making - $4.38 hour. Wow.... our minimum wage on island is $6.50. If I can find a minimum wage full time job, my monthly income less the taxes/social security = $788.00. I would be making the same amount as you - Except I will have my 2 days off, and social security for my old age.

Maybe it's time to renegotiate your hours, insist on 1 full day off (real day off), and re-do the job description. FYI, when I hired a caregiver on Saturdays, I was paying her $10/hour. That's $70 a Saturday x 4 Saturdays in a month = $280.00. I was paying her $280 just to work 4 days a month. She changed the pampers, light housekeeping, gardening (her decision since we didn't have a garden until she started working for us), and fed the parents.

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