Ways to Pay for Home Care

We are in CA and we pay $15/hour through an agency. We are in the Los Angeles area. Some agencies use independent contractors and have no worker's comp fees to pay, so can offer lower prices. If you can find a reliable person through an agency, hold on to them and treat them well!

Hi , My mom is 68 and has PD. She and my my dad live in Boston . She requires assistance with every activity and has been given 40 hours of in home care by Mass health. Moving forward , I would like them to live with me for 6 months in Ca - but how do I cover the cost of the in-home care . I can get everything moved to CA - it will take a month to move (will need to pay out of pocket for that time for doctors, caregivers etc and then move everything back to Mass. In ca with caregivers charging 20-25 dollars - we are talking about a huge amount of money . Whats the best way to do this so that both I and my brother can take care of them . Really appreciate any guidance on this . Thank you !! Also where to post a question to get the expertise of Joseph L. Matthews, Expert ?

I am seeking some advice on being paid for 6 years of elderly care. My aunt is his POA and pays any helpers generously , but when I ask she gives short comment and then a no. How can I get compensated?

Do I need liability for my mother's personal care aide?

Awesome...!!

Do you have services for kid or only for adults i have 12 year old girl that receives services i am with another agency right know but i looking to change to another one

The lady that had a Veteran father with ALZ and Parkinson's needs to contact Pallative Care and Hospice services. This will ease your burden. It does not mean he will die tomorrow. If he qualifies which it sounds like he does you will have tremendous resources covered by Medicare. CALL them ASAP

My husband had a massive stroke and I have tried Depends and doubling them, but the bed kept getting wet and during the night my husband is soaked. I finally am using a diaper called 24/7. More absorbent, I can use just two a day rather than go through 6 Depends. You can order them on Amazon.

I'm happy to say the Long Term Care Insurance has come a long way. Having two mom's who are 93 and 94 respectively, and having lead another family member through a search for their significant other's Altzheimers diagnosis and care, I have seen and lived many of the struggles. Currently working with one of the strongest providers of LTC, I am happy to share, ours does include Home Care, as well as many other alternatives to nursing home and Assisted Living care (including helping to train and reimburse a relative who comes in to assist. What is even better, is if living in a participating state, there can be advantages that help in tax and estate preservation.

When hiring a caregiver always consider an agency that has drug screened,ran criminal background checks and is licensed, bonded and insured. Agencies may be a little more but you are letting a strange into your home! It's worth it to have peace of mind. Not to mention the tax liability involved too.

We are thinking above hiring a live in caregiver. My vision is poor and need the occasional ride to appointments. My wife's health is fine, however she does need help around the house..how much do you pay and it there a specific qualified person that we should be looking for??

how much would you pay for taking care of two parents with one Dementia and one who is has mobility issues. Both have many health issues. We have to have 24 hour care. During the nights its mostly for the one parent more then the other.

I am surprised you omitted the registries from your care options. It is a great way to find highly vetted individuals for in home care

I'm glad that there are so many ways that we can pay for health care, my mother needs more than we can afford. I have been trying to take care of her the best that I can, but I have three kids to take care of as well. Thank you for all the great information, this is going to be really helpful to me.

In home care is the most viable option for the elderly when is comes to the economics. Most elderly are sent to outside services because of bathing and grooming being to difficult for the care giver. We have found that using a walk in bathtub like the one at hydrodimensions.com had helped us. There are ways to "senor proof" your home so you can be with your loved ones longer.

what to do when these suggestions are no longer options.

Crossed another threshold. Now have the wife in two depends nightly, with pad to keep leakage off the sheets/mattress. Daily wash the PJ's and pad. Then take disposal wash clothes to wipe her down. Now find that she is not going to the bathroom during the day. Now, know that it will be just a matter of time before she ends up with a rash, or infection, due to the wet depends on her. So how does one, manage this??

I moved in with my 75 year old mother who has COPD, Diabetes, among other health issues, my father 67 years old with rectal cancer and my younger sister with acute diabetes and acute leukemia. I completely take care of all of them and the house..everything they need even taking my sisters dog outside to go potty because she can barely walk due to pain. My mother seems to think she's doing me a favor and I even get food stamps to pay for my own food. How can I inform her that it is I doing her the favor. She hurts my feelings and I just want to walk away, but I don't want to do that because I love them. She has no money to pay anyone, she can barely pay her bills and sometimes she cant. She says things to make me feel like I am free loading off her but I have no time to go to work I am always busy here. What do I do? I can't even afford to buy new undergarments while any extra money she does get she blows on things she does not need (almost fifty dollars on candy at the 99 cent store!).

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I am fiduciary and care giver for my dad, have to be through the VA his fiduciary. I am currently on disability and that is the reason I was able to care for my mom till she died and now my dad. Due to the time I put in as a caregiver and filling out endless forms and doctor records through the VA and the state I have little to no time for much else. I started filing his taxes 3 years ago, but after hours and hours at H&R Block have barely gotten his return for 2010 done, which I realized I had not put a bunch of deductions on that I ought to have. I have gotten extensions since. I have receipts but have no idea if he will owe taxes or not. The year I started doing them we had to use his money to make handicapped accessible this home. We had to meet standard requirements for home safety in order for the state to even allow him to live here. Our house, which had not been remodeled at all since my mom bought it 40 years ago and left it to us, was fraught with dangers, including mold, electrical problems, no walls in most of the upstairs, animals living under the floors and getting in through the old roof. For the safety of all of us, and for the accommodations for dad, we spent 100,000. of his money to make this home safe and state approved for him to live here. For that year I paid the IRS some 10,000. toward the bill which still has an outstanding balance on it. I realized after many visits to H&R Block that only the plumbing was deductible from the dissolving of his stocks, which have that estate tax on them. My concern is that when dad is gone, what do I do about the not filed IRS returns and what if money is still owed to them? Who is then responsible? He owns no home, his car and all his belongings were stolen by an ex girlfriend who moved him out of state the day she discovered he had Alzheimers. She changed the Will to all her, but we took his original Will and made it an irrevocable trust, at which point she had sent him here for me to watch him and then refused to ever see him again. She sold his car and his many valuables I have no idea what she did with. I have no access to any of that anymore. Now he lives on SSI and a VA Pension which barely covers his cost of living, and often I am putting some of my measly 700./month disability into his care costs. I tried to hire him an attorney but they charged me 400. to walk through the door, did nothing but retrieve his records from his former attorney and sent me a bill for over 700. more! I never paid that bill and do not think I should be responsible for it either. My greatest concern however is the IRS, can they come after me? All I own is my 14 year old car and half the house I live in, I have no assets, no money in the bank. I live day to day barely, and it costs so much just to feed him etc that there is not a dime left to pay anyone. Who is responsible for not filed IRS returns after someone dies if money is somehow owed? I doubt these past two years will amount to much owed as there was only his SS and VA Pension all of which goes to his care and is recorded with the VA. I am still trying to pay for his cremation which is 3,000. and have no idea how I will even do that. The VA pays for all burial except the cremation. If anyone has any ideas on this please let me know. As far as I can tell he will have debt when he dies and I will probably lose my home as I alone cannot afford to pay to live here. While I get 600./month from the VA to care for him that entire amount and then some goes to bills for this house. When he goes and I lose that 600./month I will no longer be able to even live here, so what happens then? I sell my half of the house, my brother owns the other half, and do what? There is already a lien on my house for a credit card debt from decades ago. It is only 1600. So there it is, house is liened, I own half, dad is so hard to care for but the kindest man I have ever known. He has ALZ, Parkinson's, spinal stenosis, arthritis, no longer walks or feeds himself, and is on a special pureed diet with supplements that cost me a fortune, but I HAVE to I WANT to take care of him. PLEASE help me figure out my next move. I had to quit teaching due to going on life support from COPD, where is all this going to leave me and my youngest son who still lives with me. Help if you can. ty and God bless everyone of you who cares for you parents, it is the right thing to do! D.

We can find all sorts of reasons for not offering free rent in return for live-in care, however, what can elderly and/or disabled people do if they cannot afford to pay for home care, and are not eligible for Medicaid, etc.? We decided to take a chance and haven't regretted it for an instant. We did check out our two young (23 & 23) military men with their superiors and learned they had excellent records, and were recommended for this type arrangement. We will look for military men in the future IF we have a need. Living near a military base has its advantages, but nursing schools, colleges and churches are other places to look for kind, loving people, who need help with their finances.

@Wellspouse-that is a very good point and an important advocacy issue. We rely so much on what family caregivers provide--they all need to be supported! @jrtfoxie It is great that you have found an option that works for you, but I would caution that people need to go in to that type of arrangement with eyes wide open. 1st: you need to find good people and no amount of background checking can absolutely assure that--but there are many great people out there and it sounds you have done a thorough job, but others are not so fortunate. Or, the situation changes over time and the live in caregivers start to have more and more influence (seen it so many times, I hate to say--often people the families thought were a godsend but things start changing and by that time they're so much "part of the family" it is hard to disentangle). 2nd: various liability issues esp. in the area of worker's comp/disability i.e. what happens if the person injures himself while working at the home--people need to get a solid answer from their attorney ahead of time and minimally probably need an umbrella liability policy (if you think homeowner's covers it, I'd ask a lawyer who specializes in this area before making that assumption). There are also tax and other issues (backup care, what happens when you need more physical care and you either move on to a care facility or need to bring in trained caregivers, how does the relationship end, etc.) that can arise. I know everyone has different situations and we all have to figure out what will work best for each of us, but in many years in geriatric care management (as well as a personal experience in my family) I have seen too many of the problems--and talked to so many individuals and families who didn't realize some of the issues that can (and do) arise. My warning would just be to completely understand the situation (and all the potential costs involved), whatever option you choose.

We have found it's fairly easy to find live-in home care in exchange for rent, including board if the person is available day and night. We have two young Army men living with us now for free rent. They are also good cooks and handy around the house and yard. Many elderly have spare rooms, so this arrangement is at no cost to them, at least for the free room part. Even with board included, it's still much more cost effective than paying someone for these sevices, especially when needed all day as well as all night.

As a long-time board member and former president of the Well Spouse® Association,(http://wellspouse.org) I read your article with interest. Although you have described the various programs as being for family caregivers (presumably all?), you fail to mention that most states do not allow spousal caregivers to participate in "cash and counseling" programs to receive assistance in caring for their ill spouse at home. North Dakota is one exception that I found; there was also a pilot project in Illinois a few years ago... maybe your readers know of other states? So your helpful suggestions are most helpful for those who are caring for a parent or parents, rather than for a spouse. There is a great need for improvement in this area -- for spousal caregivers on average spend a lot more time caregiving than other family caregivers, and a number quit their job to stay and home and care for their husband, wife or partner.

PLEASE call your Congressman and see what they can do to help you.

No links to available agencies (Federal or State), or sources of grants or other funding available.

All of it. I have 2 elderly parents. One with diabetes and one recovering from a broken hip. I cannot afford to put both in assisted living. I need someone from Levelland to help.

B79 check out social services in your state, especially if your income is low. Also did you consider applying for temp disability? Our state has CT Community Cares which provides help for those not yet poor enough for medicaid. Please try these two options. I wish you luck, a.

I just need help 2 or 3 hours a week or so, but I'm 33 years old and the only option I've found is Rehabilitation Services (DORS in IL) and they just closed my case.(They have the stupidest most ridiculous questions to determine if someone needs help) I don't know if there are any other options for a disabled adult that is not a senior yet and my income is very low.

The VA has helped my dad so much, they are building him his own wheel chair, put a ramp in our house and are putting in a stair chair all for free. Also if you get the meds through the VA the co pay is only 9.00 compared to other higher copays. VA also has a respite program for caregivers, they take the patient to a VA hospital for up to 4 weeks a year to give you a break. If you are low on money then apply for in home assistance pension, which can be up to 1600./month. You will need his discharge papers to get all of this and you will also have to fill out POA paperwork so you can handle the Veteran benefits for him, which are directly put into a bank account, called an ESTATE ACCOUNT where you are the fiduciary. Be sure you have a COMPLETE list of all (I mean all) of his medical expenses when you go to apply for aide. Take all military papers with you and you can meet up with a person at the National VA headquarters who will help you fill out the endless forms. The VA offers so much, and you owe it to your dad to take advantage of it all. Doctor co pay visits are 15.00; they get free glasses every year along with an eye exam. Dental is also free, except for the copay. I still use outside geriatric and GP as well, it is important to keep all this in place for emergencies. Please take advantage of the benefits offered by the vets. And get to know your assigned social worker who will be able to guide you to more available help. I have had dad at home for 5 years, his money is essentially been spent totally down on his full time care (I cared for him on my own until only recently because he no longer walks and I am not strong enough to shower him alone anymore). But the care you provide IS considered part of his medical expenses. I forget how much you can allot yourself, but I am allotted 600./month to care for him, which is not much, but most of it gets spent on his care and does not go to me anyway. It is a lot of paper work, and you will have to have the necessary military papers to get anything, but it is so worth it. I am so eternally grateful dad is growing old here with us, his family, in our home. I know he could not be taken care of that well if he was in a nursing facility, the logistics alone explain that one. Good luck and go for it! For no one with A/D dies with loads of money, it is the nature of the disease. Eventually we will have to apply for state money as well, cause his care gets more and more every month it seems. 211 is a national number to call for social services available to you through the state or nation, call it, or elderly services and see what he is eligible for! always, a.

just good information. most i already knew, but it was good to see it in writing and to know that other people are in my boat too!

Tell me actually places I can go to. These things I already know and they're really non-exsistent

I don't really know enough yet to make any comment.

Here is a link to some info. re: VA benefits: http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/index.htm. Many states and counties also have Veterans Services offices to help vets and families through this process (each county in FL does for example and when we consult with clients at Aging Wisely we share info. on this option and always rec. working with the county Veterans service office--it is the Aid & Attendance or Homebound pension that assists mostly with home care or ALF costs). Also, families can get creative with what we at EasyLiving (providing home care in Pinellas County, Florida) call affordable home care plans and "care teams" (http://www.easylivingfl.com/four-tips-for-finding-affordable-senior-home-care-services/). Some thoughts: using home care proactively can keep seniors safer and more active, potentially preventing falls/accidents and decline, more costly in long run; using a combo. of options for an affordable plan-i.e. friends, family, etc. helping combined with paid caregivers and using resources like adult day care, meals on wheels, church helpers/programs, etc.; getting a good assessment to determine where help is most needed and what resources can help along with putting together a budget (http://www.agingwisely.com/finding-affordable-senior-care-options-care-plans-budgets-for-eldercare/).

From the otherside of the world . . . here in New Zealand. . . But still found it very informative. . . . if not really all that applicable 2 our situation. Had alot of good ideas and possitive approach

I didn't realize the VA would be an option. Thank you.

being specific about money vs jobs