She's coming home after 2+ months of hospitalization and rehabilitation. She's moderately successful at activities of daily living. We're starting with 4 hours per day with the home health aide. No house cleaning. We want the aide entirely focused on Patty.
A nurse from the agency will come out to do an assessment, and create a care plan outlining your wife's needs.
The care plan can include things like: bathing or showering assistance (or even bed bath if needed), hair washing and styling, assisting her with toileting needs, dressing, undressing, teeth brushing, putting on deodorant & makeup, making a simple meal for her, helping her with completing meals & snacks (cutting g food, utensil and cup use), assisting with transferring from one chair to another, or to bed. They can also help with changing soiled linens and clothes. When not providing one of these services, the aid can read to her or sing with her, etc.
I have help for my husband who is bedbound. And mornings to help with personal care and meal is wonderful.
My husband's aid cannot give any medications. She also cannot transport him anywhere or do shopping for him.
I wish you well.
- Be aware that some/most agencies will want to 'offer' more hours a day than might be necessary. Starting w four sounds right (and is the usual minimum hours required through an agency). Some 'encourage' starting at six.
They will let you know what an aide can / will do, and ask about their experience.
- You could also ask the hosp/rehab what is required (get a list and if exercises/rehab, get 'picture' handouts.
- Track all work (rehab) done each day to have a record - to take with you on upcoming med appts to access progress.
It is up to you to tell the aide / agency what your wife needs and see if they have an experienced aide to fulfill these needs.
You could also employ a medical social worker to access needs and help you get set up / monitor during the transition.
I'd encourage you to write out a list of questions that you ask each caregiver / aide (if you interview more than one) ... or they leave and you hire another person. Having the same list of questions helps you keep accurate records - of questions and responses.
Gena / Touch Matters
range of motion exercises
assist with meal prep
assist with cleanup after meals
grocery shopping (have a specific day for this)
take to hair salon
errands
change sheets once a week, wash sheets
assist with bed making
It depends on how the aide is paid. If it is out-of-pocket, then they should do whatever is agreed on up front or requested as needed.
If another payment source, there are usually guidelines from that source.
The aid for my Aunts (one with dementia, one without but very elderly) helped them with food prep and hygiene, did light housekeeping, ironing, played board and card games, folded laundry together (some of it was actual laundry and some was a large stack of kitchen towels that my Aunt w/dementia folded several times a day), they chatted, were taken for walks (inside and outside) and on errands. She had my one Aunt with dementia use one of those small, portable foot pedaling devices. She did it for 20-ish minutes while she watched tv. She was in her mid 90s.
I would leave the aid a long list of activities and ideas.
Old family videos to watch together and talk about what was happening? Any collections (Hummels, postcards, recipes, books) to be organized and downsized if necessary -- again, that could be conducive to conversation?
I would speak to the homecare agency you're using and tell them exactly what you say in your comment here. Ask if they can possibly send an older, experienced caregiver for your wife.
In this line of a work an experienced caregiver knows how to get lost without leaving the premesis if the client looks like they want to take a nap, or just be on their own. In a case like yours, you can't really expect the caregiver to sit and talk to your wife for four hours every day. Your wife probably does not want that either. So let her know it's okay if she looks at her phone or brings a book. I will take some time for your wife and her caregiver to get to know each other. If the caregiver knows she doesn't have to be "on" every second of her shift, the hours will work out well for both of them.
As they get to know one another you, your wife, and the homecare worker can start planning different outings during the week. Shopping, going to lunch, visiting friends, movies, etc... Then the number of days and hours can increase.