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My Mom has been under 24/7 contract care with a professional home care agency since January @ $10,000 a month. The employees have started leaving early/not showing up, leaving my Mom stranded where ever the last employee left her. She can't stand, transfer herself, or even roll over in bed. On avg. it takes 4 hrs. 45 min. for the company to send someone else. This past Sunday she would've been alone all night had it not been for the goodness of an off duty employee coming in after being contacted by my sister! My mom will not fire this company because she doesn't want to spend more money!!! I am not physically able to take care of my mom (she is heavy, dead weight) and I still have children at home yet she wants me to come over every time she is left alone, which has been 4 times in just the last 10 days. I don't have guardianship but am I still liable if I know she's home alone??? I am ready to tell her if she won't fire them & hire someone else, NOT to call me. I am really close to loosing my mind.

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You shouldn't be going through this with your healthcare company. If they took your mom on as their client they should be able to staff the shifts. Tardiness should not be tolerated nor should no-shows and leaving prior to the end of a shift. If this company can't tow the line my suggestion is to get another company. Or at the very least complain to the company about the lack of continuity of care.
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molly, go see the attorney, seek Guardianship and get her moved to a safe place, which is a Nursing Home.
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Would your mom be better off in a skilled nursing facility?
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Molly, the way I see it, since your Mom is of clear mind but has age related mobility issues, then whatever decision she makes she needs to take full responsibility for her decision. If she wants an Agency that charges $10k a month, then Mom has to deal with whatever issues pop up paying that the low cost.

Whatever you do, and I know this won't be easy, you will have to say "no" to Mom any time she calls for you to come stay with her. Then and only then will she realize she has to either pay more for her care, or move into a "retirement home". No, you are not liable, because Mom is still of clear mind.

Your Mom definitely needs a higher level of care that only a nursing home can provide. And if she runs out of money, she can apply for Medicaid, but in the mean time she can self-pay [which helps her stay in a facility should she go to Medicaid and the facility accepts Medicaid].

In the mean time, practice saying "no".
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Not to defend this egregious abuse of your Mom, but I'd be interested in knowing the shifts of caregivers and their pay rate. While elder care is an important job, it pays abysmally. some aides make poverty level wages for back breaking work. this is why turn over is high. I know agencies that charge $25/hr and pay caregivers $8 after taxes, with no sick days or time-off. THINK ABOUT THIS. You'd be better off hiring direct, you can do background checks for low cost, or go to a local nursing school and get students who would love the work and already have clearances.
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@Windyridge....as far as not being left alone, yes she would be better off in a nursing home. It would also be cheaper. But she doesn't want to go in one. Her parents were in a nursing home and Mom herself was in one for rehab, so she knows what life is like in one. If you're speaking of assisted living she requires too much assistance & they won't take her.
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@Eyerishlass... I agree! And I didn't even go into the problems of her pain meds being stolen or a retirement check being taken! These are the kind of problems we thought we'd have with hiring individuals, NOT with a company. We have met with the company owner and he assured us the problems would be worked out. Mom's been left twice since then. Other companies charge more money so Mom won't fire this one because when her money is gone, she will have to go in a nursing home. I want to know how much I'm responsible for her when I know she's been left alone.
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I might see an attorney or have an attorney consult with your mom directly. An attorney would likely come to her for the consult and have the attorney hear the facts and then send a serious letter stating what the company's shortcomings are and how they are not complying with the agreement for services. This formal layout of how they are not performing might be helpful to get their attention and inspire them to avoid losing a customer as well as being sued or held liable if something bad happens as a result of their action or inaction.
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concernedinpa...these women are making $8.00 an hour. I agree the pay is horrible and quite frankly I wouldn't do this type work for that. I couldn't believe the pay was that low. Other companies that we've found charge way more and still are only paying $8.50. They were working 12 hour shifts and have now been switched to 8 hour shifts.
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And the reason the switched to 8 hr shifts? A new law that says home care workers must now be paid fair wages...such as time and half for over 40 hrs. Used to be they could get away with paying someone $100/24 hr shift. No more. So now not only do the low wage workers get low pay, but no benefits nor overtime, no paid sick time, no mileage, health care! Nice!
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