Most families start looking for a caregiver after a fall or a hospital stay, when every decision is rushed. Lindsay explains what to do before that point, with real numbers on what in-home care costs and the questions to ask before anyone walks through your door.

Frank sits in the interview chair and asks what families want to know. Is a license more important than experience? When does helping with a pill count as medical care? Can you handle the medical side yourself to save money? Lindsay also tells the story of a 101-year-old client with Alzheimer's whose daughters, both in their late 70s, were providing care around the clock, and why a few hours of outside help each day changes things for everyone in the house.

Timestamps and Topics

• 00:00 Intro and Don't Wait for a Crisis
• 01:06 What a Good Caregiver Costs
• 02:22 Resumes, References, and Interview Questions
• 03:57 Where Non-Medical Care Ends and Who Holds the Liability
• 06:26 You Don't Have to Do It All Yourself
• 09:03 The Family Talk About Money and Time
• 10:52 Paying and Scheduling Caregivers Fairly
• 13:28 Why Dementia Care Needs the Same Faces

Key Takeaways

• Bring in help when you first notice mobility problems. Waiting for a fall often means a hospital stay, then rehab in assisted living.
• Hire for skill, not the lowest rate. Lindsay puts the going rate in San Diego at $25 to $30 an hour, and a $15 to $18 listing rarely comes with dementia or transfer experience.
• Ask for a resume and professional references from past employers or families, not friends. Ask about punctuality, call-outs, driving record, and experience with your loved one's specific condition.
• Non-medical caregivers can't handle medication or wounds. Crushing a pill into applesauce already counts as medical, and if you direct a caregiver to do it, you hold the liability.
• Decide with your siblings who pays and who gives time before anything happens. Then take regular breaks so you don't come back to your parent resentful.
• Pay caregivers well and rotate weekends between at least two people. Short shifts of about four hours should pay $40 to $50 an hour so the caregiver stays, which matters most for someone with Alzheimer's or dementia.

Quotes

• "Don't wait for the crisis. Why are you going to wait till they fall and break a hip?" (Lindsay)
• "The cheapest caregiver is not always the best caregiver." (Lindsay)
• "You need to be the advocate and the adult here." (Lindsay)
• "That break is actually helping the parent. And it's okay. Don't feel guilty." (Frank)
• "Caregivers live paycheck to paycheck. Pay them well. They're taking care of your loved one." (Lindsay)

Call to Action

New episodes of Unfilter Caregiver come out every two weeks on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Subscribe so you catch the next one, and leave a review to help other families find the show. If you have a sibling who keeps putting off the care conversation, send them this episode.

Links and Resources

Find care options and more from Lindsay at findinghomecare.net.

Listener Questions

Is there a caregiving situation we haven't covered yet? Send your questions, reactions, and topic ideas through findinghomecare.net, and we may build a future episode around them.

Apple Podcast Tags

hiring a caregiver, in-home care, home health care, caregiver cost, elder care, aging parents, Alzheimer's care, dementia care, sundowning, family caregiver, caregiver burnout, respite care, senior care, caregiver interview questions, Unfilter Caregiver