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Ammaroth Asked October 2017

What's the best time of day for a hired aide if money is an issue?

Looking for some suggestions here...my ninety-plus year old mom broke her hip early in the summer and has only recently come home from rehab. One of the first things she did when she got home (lives on her own)was hightail it down to HR at her job(she works full time as an administrative assistant at a university) to keep her job intact. So far so good. We have hired agency aides who are doing 12 hour shifts and again so far so good. She is still doing extensive pt but is mostly able to get around with a walker (wheelchair for longer outings, also uses the walker with the built in seat). But the aides are getting expensive and she is thinking about giving up the night one. I think that this is a mistake, this is her third fall and she would probably be most at risk at night home alone. I am thinking to keep the night one (8-8) who can help her with bath in the evening and getting dressed in the morning. Ideally I would like not to give up either, but, money. Any ideas? Thanks.

Sunnygirl1 Oct 2017
Congrats on your mom's retirement. Did she say what caused her to make the decision? Although, at age 90, she's certainly entitled! My goodness.

If she has recurring falls, do you know why? I ask because, sometimes it's not so much someone tripping, but, having poor balance.

Ammaroth Oct 2017
Thanks everyone...had to wait a while to post an update. Turns out that mom has decided to retire-she went back and it was just too much. In the meantime she herself (unknown to us) dismissed the evening aides and is using a 12hr daily aide. She has a life alert pendant and knows she basically has to stay put in bed after the aide leaves at 8. Only gets up for bathroom/commode and keeps a light on. So far so good. Now we get to begin the process of switching her health insurance to Medicare as the primary..so I may be asking more about that soon!

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Hugemom Oct 2017
In my case, caring for bed-ridden hubby, I would take a morning aide. Mornings are crazy here. I am not a morning person, but if it were up to hubby, I’d be up at 5AM. There are his meds, coffee, breakfast, bed bath, diaper change and linen change. I also have pets to potty and feed. I would love for someone to be here a few times a week to take over for me. So, I’d definitely say morning.

jjariz Oct 2017
You need to evaluate the reasons for her falls, and remedy those problems. Tripped on rug? Remove rug. Tripped over footstool? Remove footstools. Low light situation? Fix the lighting. Unsteady at night? Add bed rails and a bedside commode. Doesn't want to use the walker? . . . well, good luck (I've never solved that one).
Blessings,
Jamie

97yroldmom Oct 2017
I like it that she has help with her bath and dressing in the morning. I'm assuming that she was/is driving?
What does the daytime aid do if she is working full time? Perhaps she isn't working yet but made sure her job would be ready when she is ready to return to work? I suppose the daytime aid could help her with her dress and bath just as easily as the night time aid. Does she normally get up during the night? If she is home all day alone and normally sleeps during the time the night aid is there, I might lean more toward the daytime aid and shift the dangerous activities to that aid.
You have a lot of good points here with all the different answers but I think a little more information would be helpful.

Tothill Oct 2017
Have the prior falls been during the day or night? Would she consider a life alert or some other monitoring service? Would she push the button if needed?

How often is she up at night?

When my grandmother broke her hip it was because she fell getting out of the bath too quickly to answer the phone.

Keep in mind often the hip breaks, then the person falls. We often think that the fall caused the broken hip, but it is the other way around some of the time.

notrydoyoda Oct 2017
If she is working full-time, why does she need a daytime caretaket?

Keep the night time person.

gladimhere Oct 2017
Still working?! Amazing! I tend to agree that she should have someone overnight. But, she must be competent so has the right to make her own decisions no matter how bad they might be.

Sunnygirl1 Oct 2017
Hmmmm...so she needs around the clock aids, but, works a full time job at a university? Plus, does PT? I'm not sure that I follow. Do you know why she's having recurring falls?

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