When it comes to my life and being “independent”… I need caregivers to help me with everyday tasks. I need 4 different caregivers to get me through 1 week, 2 for nighttime and 2 for daytime. I used to go through caregivers so much and I’ve had so many of them over the past 10 years. Usually between 18 and 22 years old and then they move on to a better job or make poor choices and lose their job. That being said though It’s almost been impossible to find caregivers to cover my daytime shift for almost 4 years now. About right after covid hit.
I have to use an agency for my daytime caregivers and I private pay my nighttime caregivers. If I could afford to pay for my nighttime and my daytime caregivers it might not be so hard to find replacements. However it is much too expensive for me and it’s exactly why my trust is running out of money.
My trust pays for my nighttime caregivers and boy let me tell you… It is expensive! Just for my 2 nighttime caregivers it’s over $50,000.00 annually. That does not count what I have to pay a payroll company, It does not include any overtime, and it does not include any of my other needs such as weekly lawn mow, snow removal, fall leaf pickup, plumbing, HVAC, and vehicle maintenance just to name a few.
I am fortunate enough to have Medicaid and Medicare to help with my daytime caregivers. That being said though, it is almost impossible to find anybody willing to be a caregiver outside of private pay because they do not want to pay enough. I think it works out to like $13.50 an hour. Granted it’s not hard work and I’m a pretty laid back individual but nobody wants to come to work for $13.50 an hour. Especially when everything else you can do pays $3 more per hour. Really sucks because there’s a lot of people like me that really really need the help and depend on the help. I have posted so many ads and contacted so many different agencies over the last 4 years. All with no luck.
I have been with one of my daytime Caregivers for 7 years now. She’s in her 60’s now and can hardly walk anymore. She needs both of her knees replaced and she has a really hard time walking. In fact 2 days ago she fell going from the living room to my bedroom. Scratched her arm all up and bruised her shoulder because her knee popped out of place. That being said I need to find somebody that can replace her ASAP. So if you know anybody looking and willing to work please send them my way. Even if they’re new and have never done caregiving before. I am very good at explaining things and how to do them and I am very patient. So no experience is necessary.
Shoot me a message please!
Uncle Donkeys Tales 