I've been living with my grandmother for 28 years now and she's going through a lot. She's 68 years old, has mrsa, asthma, COPD, Sarcoidosis, Bronchitis, heart failure and lung problems. She's also a stroke victim, has flatlined twice in one year, died twice two years later, has a feeding tube, got Covid and uses an ostomy bag. After all that struggle she made it out alive. I've been taking care of her during those hard times, and I want to help her out even more by being her caretaker. Is there anyway I can do that?
Some States have it now where u can be trained by an agency, work for them with benefits, and care for her. But u won't get rich.
I guess ur at least 28 yrs old. You do need to consider ur future. For you SS at 100% is 67. SS only goes back 35 yrs for earnings, so thats age 32. In that time, you want to work f/t making as much as you can so you get as much SS as u can. Also, as you age, its going to be harder for you to find a good paying job because u have no work experience. You may be better finding help for GM in the way of an aide. Medicaid has an "in home" program. GM would just need to meet the criteria. Meals on wheels could help with hot meals. It won't be easy but it can be done. Check with ur Office of Aging for resourses.
That being said , IF you take this on , make sure you do not promise to keep doing it forever or promise to keep grandma home.
It may become too much for you to do and she may need a facility someday .
You must allow yourself an exit plan .
It's nice of you to want to be her caregiver, but you should be getting on with your life, not dealing with her feeding tube, changing her colostomy bags, and escorting her to the ER and doctor appointments (which will be many).
Will she pay you? Do you have anyone to take over when you must leave the house, so that you can have a social life of some sort? Or go to the store? Or treat yourself to ice cream?
You should discuss this with her doctor. You may wish to ask for an evaluation for palliative care and/or hospice, since those would give you some relief.
Presiding over a relative's health decline and death can do a real number on your mental health. If I were you, I wouldn't do it. I'd help grandma find qualified trained professionals to take care of her. Please consider it, and good luck.
If you want to be paid for being her caregiver that is a different question.
Typically the person receiving care pays the caregiver.
There are some programs that might pay you to be her caregiver.
Check with your local Senior Service Center ask if there is a Social Worker you can talk to.
Your local Area Agency on Aging may also have some suggestions.
So in reality it sounds like you're already her caregiver, or am I missing something?
I mean you already live with her, so if you're not doing the caregiving, who is? Does anyone else live with the 2 of you that also helps out?
Or are you asking if there is anyway that you can get PAID to be her caregiver? The answer to that is perhaps. You can have a lawyer draw up a contract between you and your grandmother with the amount she is willing to pay you for caring for her and the lawyer can provide you with instructions as how to have taxes withheld so you don't get in trouble with the IRS. Or if grandmother is on Medicaid often they will pay for a few hours of care weekly as well. Now note I said that Medicaid will pay for a "few" hours of help each week. Not enough to make a living on that's for sure, and your grandmothers issues are really more than just one person can handle, and really above any pay grade that she might could provide financially.
With having a feeding tube and colostomy bag, those 2 things alone require very specific care, not to mention all her other issues, so while I'm sure you love your grandmother, I think her care now requires 24/7 care in a facility, where you can just be her loving granddaughter and not her caregiver.
And then you can concentrate on getting a well paying full-time job(if you don't already have one)and building your own life.
Your grandmother would want that for you.
Best wishes to you both.
We see many people take on this sort of care 24/7 and end homeless and penniless without a job history. We have had to advise some to go to shelters.
If you wish to take on this care you can check with your state's rules on being a paid caregiver to your grandmother, but this is not a living wage for the amount of care required.
I wish you the best. Your grandmother may need more care soon than an unskilled caregiver can provide; and in fact with the severity of her failing hear and lungs she may not have long to live.
She is young for this severe level of disease. If you have lived with her I suspect she more or less raised you? I am very sorry.