Should I discontinue the caregiver I bring in 4 days a week to help me care for my 91 year old mom?

We’ve kept my father’s helper. They are both being careful and understand both the guidelines and risks. My dad isn’t scared of the virus, his body is physically worn out, and in many ways he’d welcome an end to life here. He needs the help and the socialization his helper provides and she’s comfortable in continuing to come. They both are Lysol freaks! There is no perfect plan for any of us in this, we just have to find what works and makes the most sense in each situation

It's a personal decision. Everyone knows what personal needs they have and what risks they feel comfortable with. Since, you mother is of advanced age and has multiple medical problems, the virus would be quite severe for her, but, I would really base it on your ability to survive it. If you got sick, who would care for them? I might just explore plans for that, so, there is a plan in place.

If she is a good and conscientious caregiver and is well-liked, I would not discontinue her services. Make sure you have plenty of gloves, hand sanitizer and antibacterial soap for everyone to use. If you let her go, you are taking the chance she will find another job and then you won’t be able to get her back when this is all over.

I wish I could find a care giver for my mom...thank your lucky stars you have one! Keep her is my suggestion.

It is so hard to say what to do. Just have her follow all precautions and hope for the best. Life has no guarantees. I wish you all the best.

I have kept my mom's caregiver, but I really need her as I work at home.   Just discuss handwashing, etc.

I trust her understanding of the corona virus = excellent.

She does everything possible to stay safe = oh my God, wonderful.

Should I discontinue her services for now? Absolutely not! Count your lucky stars. Your family is blessed to find such a person. I absolutely would not let her go and risk losing her once the dust settles. Do everything possible to help her and your mom stay safe.

So good to hear some good news.

my 88 year old mom contracted coronavirus on march 15 - she has heart failure, diabetes,hypertension and pain syndrome.....the first week was a mild cough.....i care for her 6 days per week....the 2nd week we both had low grade fevers body aches, etc......by the end of 2nd week mom was in distress one night and had to be taken to hospital....we are in NYC......it was just starting to get bad and we were still able to get ambulance to go to best hospital that has moms drs(now you are lucky if they take you to any of the public hospitals etc)......after her fever broke and breathing regulated - and they gave her experimental antimalarial/zpac and antibiotic for uti - they sent her home.....via ambulance...my mom doesnt speak english ie italian and i do all her medical stuff - hardest part was i was not allowed in ER or to visit during her hospital stay - she was in isolation and even the nurses wouldnt come in when she needed to pee ie they would say "we cant waste a mask for that".....mom has now been home for almost 2 weeks and needs 100% assistance...im in constant contact with her drs and every day something else ie yesterday bp was 200/85, the other day swwollen ankles, day before that UTI.......but im so grateful she is home.....i was going to get an aide but im hesitant - i feel I want all this to go away first.......she has medicaid and qualifies but i feel at this point i might be the best aide....but im exhausted.....she is up and down all day and night to bathroom....

My wife,s caregiver comes here 5 days a week, 5 hours a day. We are her only client, so she will continue working for us. However, if she went to several clients a day to get full time hours, with this Corona virus going on, she would not be coming here, I do not know about you, but I would consider this an invitation to catch Covid 19. No thank you.

We've discontinued using our bath aid until things subdue. Can't take a chance with her going to different homes and being around others who may have it. I would discontinue using them, but that's just my opinion.

Is the caregiver taking care of anyone else?
Is the caregiver taking precautions in her own life on a daily basis? Limiting contact with others and following protocol?
If this caregiver has been coming in to the house for the past several months to ask her not to come now is a little like closing the barn door after the horse has run off. (that's what my Grandma woulda said!)

I guess the other question is can you handle caring for your mom on a daily basis by yourself for the next 2 months? And I guess..would you want to care for her by yourself for the duration? Do you NEED the help?
I would think if the answer to the last question is yes then you have your answer.
And by help I also mean for your sanity. Are you able to get out and get some "ME" time still? If the caregiver is not doing a lot of direct care and you are having her help you do things that you would not do by yourself that is also helping you out...things like clearing out the back closet, going through kitchen cabinets and tossing out items you have not used in the past 10 years.
If all 3 of you are sitting and watching TV for 4 hours that is a whole 'nother thing.

Definitely keeping my mom’s caregiver, even though mom lives with me. We, too, are her only client and she’s here 5 days a week/7-8 hours a day, and more if we need her. I am also high at risk but my sanity would be at greater risk if she didn’t come!!! She is also a sanitizing freak so all we can do is hope for the best. Good luck everyone - stay healthy!

You need to take care of you, even during this pandemic. My aide is aware of how important it is for her to be safe, and I trust that she is taking the appropriate precautions. That being said, I have considered reducing her hours, Perhaps if you can reduce the hours without hurting your caregiver's income too much, that would be wise.

Make sure anyone coming
to her/your home washes hands & sanitizes! That will minimize the risk. Risk of no caregiver is much worse than letting someone in!

My parents' caregiver stopped when schools closed here. Then we were setting up a rotation of 3 people, but we stopped having them come because of the risk. I live in another state, but since I can work home, I came out here to stay with them until things calm down. It has been really hard. I've been here three weeks with no end in sight. My husband and grown kids are home. I am having a lot of trouble sleeping. My best wishes to all of you in similar situations out there.

You matter in this situation, so I would say keep her.

I would not cut her hours unless she requests it. That might create a financial hardship that causes her to have to find work elsewhere, increasing her exposure.

Stay safe, healthy and sane.

my 89 year old dad needs 24/7 care. I had five caregivers to cover this many hours, but reduced it to three in order to reduce his risk. All only work for dad and are aware of the need to practice safety. I live in the next stage over another and had been visiting each month for a week to check in and to offset the cost ($10k/mo.) of his care. I cannot risk flying now, so will just hope this ends soon. Until then, I watch him via camera and FaceTime him for an hour a day while the day carer takes a break from her 12 hour shift. I take comfort knowing dad is in good hands and pray he stays safe.

My two sisters and I had 3 originally to cover but cut it down to the one we trust to reduce the risk.
The agency was able to give her more shift.
Better to have one point of contact than all of us going in and out.

We have kept our caregiver for our 96 year old mom. We pressured the agency to provide masks for her. She is excellent and completely follows safe practices. We feel blessed.

You are blessed to have a good caretaker and who is responsible. My advice is this - do NOT let her go, you may not get her back. And if she is helping YOU as well, don't rock the boat. Please keep her.

I have three caregivers... other than myself. Two of them only help my mother. The other is with Visiting Angels. I feel that she is cautious and hope to keep them all. I cannot do it alone. She needs 24 hour care and is up and down every hour to an hour and a half at night and is unable to do anything on her own. I posted a large sign on the outside door about hand washing procedures and using Clorox wipes to clean surfaces. Hopefully this will help! Praying that all stay well.

It depends on how long she stays...all day? If 12 hrs maybe cut in half & give her 6 hrs. I wouldn’t drop her all together...you might not be able to get her back when this virus is over. You still need respite even if you go to another room to take a nap 😴! Hugs 🤗

No not if you need the help

She is probably not a big risk for your mother as long as she follows hygiene protocols and wears a mask. She can say she has a cold and doesn't want to give it to anybody. That is almost the situation.

No. Continue with the caregiver. You have to take care of yourself.

No - just make her follow the protocols put in place for the Novel Coronavirus.

The best thing to do is talk to your caregiver! Cutting hours could force them into financial hardship or they may have to take clients that are riskier. Our caregiver was only coming 3 days a week for 2 hours to help Dad shower and take a walk. She told us the agency had assigned her a new client in a nursing facility, where she'd have to fully suit up, and she refused, but they weren't happy with her. We talked to her and offered to increase to 5 days a week (he has amazing long-term care insurance that will cover up to 7 hours a day) to help keep her only seeing her 3 home clients. She is thrilled as it helps protect her and her other home clients.

I’m in the same situation and we have agreed to keep the carer on. Like yours, she is fastidious about cleanliness and protection. Although I’m working from home now and could physically deal with my mother’s care, I know that over an extended period it would create a lot of stress, something none of us need at the moment!

No keep your caregiver. If you have a excellent one with good rapport they are extremely hard to come by to lose over a temporary situation. Just follow the recommended infection control practices and hope for the best. These are very uncertain times...you could get rid of your caregiver and still get covid-19 in your family somehow. Think positively and just make smart decisions regarding your loved one.