Comfort Keepers, etc and preparing your home. What do I need to do?

Any good agency will send someone over to evaluate the needs, they will talk to you and your mom about what needs you each think she might need, evaluate her medical info and any notes mom's doctor has about needs as well as check out the space and suggest any upgrades or work that need to be done. I don't think they will require anything specifically but they will make suggestions, maybe strong suggestions about the things that will make life safer and easier for mom. They will also suggest the services they think she should have and then you can figure out from there what the set up to try. You can even do this and set it all up before she moves back home, not a bad idea...

She has a 2 story with a stair glide. Drove and just used a cane before this issue with hip. She CANNOT live with me! I am an only child and in the last 2+ years have 3 little grandchildren I love to see and spend time with. I need a clone of me to help out! I was going to get her a shower chair, another walker with wheels for her second floor. Trying to figure out meals as there is no close meals on wheels near her. I have been attending to her health needs/crisis for the last 12 going in 13 years. Also last year (after a prior denial) she started receiving Aid & Attendance from the VA so has money to pay someone.

cosmicgirl61, my Dad used Home Instead and they were great, they knew exactly what to do as soon as they came through the front door.

Prior to the caregivers coming into the home, a Representative from the company came over to interview Dad, and to talk to me. In return, I was interviewing her. My Dad already had the grab bars installed in the tub/shower, and that was all that was required at that point in time.

As for driving, the caregivers prefer to use their own vehicles, thus there was a cost for mileage, which was understandable.

The main thing is to get a good match of caregiver for your Mother. My Dad was easy going but out the numerous caregivers who were sent over, he was able to choose who he wanted on a regular basis. That caregiver was with Dad for over a year even when he moved into "Independent Living" senior facility :)

Now, will your Mom be able to budget for having caregivers in her home? In my area, the cost is between $25-$30 an hour. It does vary from area to area. Dad's caregivers were worth every penny, and if one couldn't make her shift, the agency quickly found a replacement for that day.

My 2 aunts in FL (97 and 100) use Visiting Angels and it has been an awesome service. No complaints. But they are at the basic level of help (so do not need anyone with medical training). My aunts' house is a basic small late 1970s FL home. They have a walk-in shower with hand rails and a riser on their toilet seat and a hospital-style bed for one of my aunts. That's it. Will your mom be in a wheelchair? That's a whole other story.

I agree on many things with Windyridge. Depending on how much care your mom needs it can be MORE expensive to provide in-home care than a NH. Experienced caregivers know how to handle the "testy" customers. Do you live with her? Are you her only other caregiver? Her being allowed to fire the help needs to be thought through. The help is for both of you and she may not understand how much work it is to take care of her. Good luck!

My folks had a tiny falling down house, refused to spend money on the house and refused any paid help in the home. In our case it wasnt feasible to keep them home as dads dementia worsened and mom was falling all the time. I would’ve had to build our own private nursing home.

I could list all the stuff your mom would need, handicap bath, grab bars all over, maybe a ramp, etc, I did what I could for my folks, kept the place functioning but barely. It had a tiny bathroom, narrow doors and was just a falling down mess. I should point out that I’m a retired building trades guy and did all this stuff myself. If I’d had to hire it done it would have been some big bucks.

At 94 I doubt if it makes sense to put money into your moms house. And she’s still driving? How’s that going!?

As for comfort keepers, I found a great locally owned home care place run by a retired RN but mom fired them after a few visits. I preferred them over the franchise places. Depending on the level of care expect to spend $20 to 30 an hour with a 2 to 4 hour minimum.

Mom died last year but dad is in a memory care place and I have sitters from visiting angels visit him twice a week since I’m out of state. They’re a franchise but have been pretty good to deal with. They charge me $24 per hour but this is not caregiving, just companionship visits.