Cost is determined by the particular details of the support requested. With families from Tucker and Decatur, I consider the hourly rate and minimum hours, the regularity of the schedule, the consistency of the caregiver and the scope of the support provided.
Understanding the above is essential to developing a care support plan that addresses the needs of the family.
The questions that families in Tucker and Decatur have, about support plans provided by home care agencies, are similar:
What will it cost?
What is the minimum number of hours of support?
Can support be provided on the days and at the times that it is needed?
Can support be provided by the same caregiver on every occasion?
Will a caregiver be able to assist my parent to do tasks that my parent is not able to do on his/her own?
Can a caregiver provide support to my parent if he/she does not want help to do the task?
For families in Tucker investigating senior care options, I suggest you think about the particular weekdays that pose the greatest challenges rather than addressing if a situation requires “around the clock care.”
The same suggestion is offered to families in Decatur. There are situations where a brief and timely support service may be required, while a different situation may require support of longer duration.
Flexibility is Key
Families must keep in mind that support service hours may not be scheduled less than a certain minimum.
The challenge may be in the morning as vs. the afternoon, and support may be required to get the family member ready to leave for appointments and errands. Support may be required to help the family member with meals, or to help them wind down for the day.
Alternatively, the challenge may occur on a given day of the week. Support may be required for a certain duration each time it is scheduled.
If the support is intended to assist for a given duration each time it is scheduled, the challenge may be different on different days.
The support may be required on a given weekday but not on weekends.
Support may be required on a given weekday but not weekends.
If support is scheduled around the family’s routine, the care service may be able to provide more useful insights based on similar situations.
Will the Same Caregiver Always Assist?
One question that is routinely asked by families is if the same caregiver will always assist the family member each time support is scheduled.
A Care Pro must become familiar with the client’s lifestyle and preferences. With older adults, it is beneficial for them to get used to having the same people come into their home to provide care. Care Pros must also be familiar with the client’s Care Plan.
I can not guarantee one Care Pro will provide all the visits, however. Care Pros can become unavailable. The planned visits can also change.
There are several things that can impact your office’s commitment to consistency. The best way to understand this is to determine what happens when the Care Pro you’ve come to know isn’t available.
You should also ask what happens when the Care Pro needing to review the client’s Care Plan the most isn’t available.
A client shouldn’t need to adjust their lifestyle to accommodate the Care Plan provided by the agency. The Care Plan should help the client maintain their normal activities and routine. The Care Plan should permit the agency to provide care when the client is most inconvenienced and tired. The Care Plan should also permit the agency to assist the client with activities the client finds frustrating. Often, clients find it less threatening to have a caregiver assist them with transportation and errands prior to having a caregiver assist them with personal care. Your parent may be more amenable to agency staff assisting them with personal care if they have staff help them with other activities they find frustrating and difficult. What activities are your parent willingly discussing?
I would not frame resistance as a family “win” or “loss” situation.
Older adults may have legitimate concerns with a family member moving in with them. The relative may be asking the older adult to give up control. There may be valid differences of opinion about how much help the older adult needs.
Listen to those reasons for concern.
Don’t “sell” help by arguing, “In the end, you are going to need a caregiver.”
Instead, offer help in a way that gives your parent options.
” Would it be helpful to have a caregiver drive you to your Tuesday appointment?”
“Who could we call to help us with grocery shopping?”
“Who could help us with [Activity X]?”
Be open to your parent making the decisions about help.
Home care allows older adults to keep as much control and independence as possible while still providing them the help they need. The best care plans are created in collaboration with the older adult.
Home Instead provides home care services in the following locations: Tucker, Doraville, and Stone Mountain. Our Atlanta office also provides similar services.
I would start by detailing a sample day, and explaining the kinds of assistance your parent needs. Let them know what your parent can still do independently, and where they may need assistance. Let them know what days may be more difficult for your parent, and what your parent wishes to be able to do on their own.
What kinds of things should I be thinking about when considering home care for my senior parent?
Initially, you should discuss the days on which your parent requires assistance, and the days on which your family members are not able to provide assistance. Home care can be scheduled to cover these situations.
What if I want home care to help my parent only with a few things?
It is completely acceptable to design a home care plan to assist with only a few things. Your parent may want help only with things like errands and grocery shopping, or may need help only with transportation and companionship.
Will a care worker assist my parent with things like giving him/her injections?
No. Home care is not able to assist your parent with anything requiring a medical skill, or provide any type of medical or nursing service.
Will there be flexibility to change the home care schedule?
Yes. Depending on the situation, the home care schedule can be changed. You may discuss your options with the home care office.
What happens if my parent doesn’t like their caregiver?
Usually, there are issues with personality and trust. It’s important the caregiver is someone the client feels comfortable having in their home. Explain to your office what the issues are. They’ll be able to tell you what choices you have if a situation like this arises.
What should I ask before I start using your services?
You should find out what the current hourly rate is, what the minimum number of hours of care is, how flexible scheduling is, whether caregivers are swapped out, what happens if the Care Pro is not available, what services are offered, and how does your company modify care.
When thinking about in home senior care in the Atlanta area, you don’t need to have all the answers before your first meeting. Let your first meeting be about what care is the absolute minimum you will allow your parent to have. Our team will let you know what services are offered in your area. We will help you define what an appropriate care plan is for your situation.
About the Author
Matt Cohn has spent more than 25 years helping older adults and their families find the right support to remain safe and comfortable at home. He owns Home Instead locations in Georgia and Louisiana and has worked closely with families, caregivers, and care professionals through many of the decisions that come with in-home care.
