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85 years old, newly diagnosed, still ambulatory but unsteady. She still lives alone as of now but that may be changing if her dementia progresses. She is nervous about showering when alone and is becoming unsteady getting in and out of her shower over tub. We are wondering if affordable services are available just for showering/personal care. I just know that part of her care will be too difficult for me. Not even sure how my mom will feel about this but just thinking about future needs.

You can purchase a shower bench that extends outside of the tub. A person can sit and with assistance, legs are placed over the tub while sitting sliding on bench into the tub. I've seen those benches being sold on Amazon. Just make sure its steady enough and won't tip over. A hand held shower head will work better than a shower where you have to stand. Make sure she is allowed to test the temperature of the water and place the water on a low pressure setting so it is not beating against sensitive skin. Skin on the elderly is much more delicate.
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Reply to Scampie1
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You can hire a CNA from an agency to come out several times a week.

In my area agencies had either a 3 hour minimum or 4 hour minimum.
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Reply to brandee
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Yes I Hired a CNA for bathing for My Dad through Boston senior Home care and It was covered by medicare . The CNA Came twice a week to Bathe and Light House cleaning ( Laundry ) . Speak with elder services on your town .
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Reply to KNance72
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If your mother's doctor orders it, Medicare will pay for a bath/hygiene aide to come once or sometimes twice a week to help her with showering. Or you can hire a private aide from a care.com or a similar site and negotiate what they will take as pay to come a couple times a week.

Also, there is no "if" your mother's dementia gets worse. It will get worse unless she dies first. It would be a good idea to look into some LTC facilities or inquire about live-in help.
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Reply to BurntCaregiver
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We did private care off of care.com for $25-30/hr near the twin cities in MN but it required setting up a business, doing payroll, unemployment insurance taxes, etc. Agency rates were pretty uniformly $50/hr. Private allows more latitude in setting the tasks/expectations but there's no backup when someone calls in sick.

Coverage for us was 4-16 hrs/week for my FIL who was a 40% disabled vet, and twice weekly shower aides from Medicare for 8-week periods (3 of them total for my MIL) when prescribed by her doctor either for an initial assessment or in response to an incident or injury.

Talk to the your mom's doctor about whether/how they can help with Medicare aide in your state, call your Area Agency on Aging to see how things work in your state and county. Everything differs greatly by state, some by county, some by Medicare plan type and provider. In general, I believe you *may* be able to get some temporary help with shower and other ADL assistance but outside of VA benefits you're probably looking at private pay with an agency or independent caregiver.
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Reply to DaughterByLaw
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Just to give you an idea what it costs in my neck of the woods (Wa state). It looks like the norm is around $80 for one hour (that would be the bathing and whatever else they can do within the hour).
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Reply to LucyImHome
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I am bringing my mother to see her Dr on Tuesday. She will have further testng before we decide if she needs a change in living arrangements. She doesn't roam, has never driven, and in recent months doesn't like going out much at all. She feels safe in her home. I appreciate all the tips, some of which we are already discussing plans for.
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Reply to DeepThinker
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First I have to correct you as you said "if her dementia progresses." Dementia only does one thing and that is progress and get worse over time.
That is the sad truth.
And in all honesty your mother should probably not be living by herself anymore, so until you can figure out what her care will look like going forward, you may want to install some inexpensive security cameras where you can check in on her through your phone throughout the day and night.
Make sure that your mothers shower has a steady shower bench in it, grab bars, a slip proof mat, and a hand held shower head, as those things will help her feel more comfortable.
And then as already mentioned you can check with Care.com to find someone to come help your mother, until you find a the right facility to place her in.
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Reply to funkygrandma59
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Go to Care.com and check for a caregiver and costs.
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Reply to lealonnie1
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I forgot to mention this is my mother.
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Reply to DeepThinker
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