Hiring a live-in carer - want to make it a success - any advice?

happyshopper

dawyldthing wrote: »

Where I work you'd put in the mileage and then the client is billed per mile (I think it's 35p a mile where I work) so ask the agency if they do that or if it's something else.

They don't seem to charge mileage, just for petrol used. We can either reimburse via the agency or informally with the carer.

dawyldthing wrote: »

Petty cash needs a balance sheet. If one of you are dropping the money off I'd get a carbon copy book - Wilkos are most reasonable but whsmiths do sell them so then you both can sign yo say money is received then one stays in the book and one in the file. Same for if petty cash is needed for parking for example, can then be signed on the carbon book but most things should be receipt end and then stapled to the back of the sheet after it's been numbered.

Great ideas, many thanks.

dawyldthing wrote: »

You should be able to ask for Mars sheets for signing meds from the pharmacy and possibly Mds packs (boots certainly do them), but it's easier to keep track of meds, for reordering as it tells you. Plus it's easy to see if there being popped.

That's also a good idea, I'll ask the pharmacy.

dawyldthing wrote: »

If they can't/ don't want to add business insurance and they have a bus pass could possibly use public transport. Breaks the day up too.

Yep. Mum's not mobile enough at the moment for buses etc., but hopefully she'll get there. We've just bought her a wheelchair for trips out tho' she doesn't need it indoors.

Many thanks for your helpful suggestions!

HS

dawyldthing

scaredofdebt wrote: »

Sorry to hijack this thread, but could you give me a rough idea how much this type of care costs?

My mum has Alzheimers and we recently went on holiday, having carers visiting 4 times a day, but it didn't work as well as I think a live-in carer would.

Thanks.

Depends how it's done. If full full time over £2k a week as agency takes a percentage too. I think some live in carers get less mind but am not sure how as it all was mentioned with the sleep in Hoo ha

dawyldthing

Bare in mind it's over £14.70 an hour (has been including sleep in too, but this might change) agencies get as they've got insurance, training and the like to pay out. £135 seems really really cheap tbh

troubleinparadise

happyshopper wrote: »

The agency we are using (North London) charges £135 per day (I know, yikes!). We may eventually explore other options that might be cheaper but we had to get something sorted quickly. So far so good, the carer seems great.

That’s fairly similar to residential care costs, but the person gets one-to-one care and stays in their own home. If there is the cash available to fund it (as opposed to needing to sell a house to fund costs) then it can work very well.

A friend of mine used a live-in carer from an agency for her Mum who had dementia. The mum was pretty easy going, and did not have much in the way of physical problems. The agency carers were changed every 6 months, and had a day off a week. When there was a problem with one, the agency sorted it very quickly. Her final decline was very quick with a month in hospital, so she never needed to go into residential care. It all worked very well for everyone.

sitesafe

dawyldthing wrote: »

Bare in mind it's over £14.70 an hour (has been including sleep in too, but this might change) agencies get as they've got insurance, training and the like to pay out. £135 seems really really cheap tbh

Interesting - I've often had to pay for my own training updates, DBS and sometimes my own liability insurance - both as employed and self employed in the past.

dawyldthing

sitesafe wrote: »

Interesting - I've often had to pay for my own training updates, DBS and sometimes my own liability insurance - both as employed and self employed in the past.

That’s not good if it comes out the £135 though