More on help at home
March 19, 2016
By: Mark Harvey
Email: harvemb@dshs.wa.gov
Hi!
Last week (I know, that was a long time ago) I went on about something called “help at home,” which is nothing more than getting some kind of help with some kind of something – At home – Because, for whatever reason, you can’t do it (or shouldn’t, and you probably know it).
We talked about everything from plumbers to carpenters to housecleaning services to the legendary (if imagined) gal who is a Domestic Engineering Goddess and works tirelessly for $2.00/hour (and probably cooks and cleans exactly the way you would).
And we’re assuming that if you have “family” available (which, for many of us, is a big “IF”!), they’re already doing everything they can do, or are willing to do OR you’re willing to ask them to do so, now what? Well, I’ll share a secret with you, although I have no idea how or why they’re a secret: “In-home Care Agencies” (aka, “Homecare Agencies,” “Agencies,” etc.)
These are businesses which hire, train, schedule, supervise and pay folks to come into your home and help you with stuff. What stuff? Well, could be anything from the “activities of daily living” that we mentioned last week (bathing, transferring, dressing, etc.) to actual nursing (on the high end – And DON”T confuse this with “Home Health”) to errands, housework and so on. Here’s how they work:
They recruit folks, run background checks, train them (the core of this “training” is State-mandated), then schedule them into your home to do what you need/want done, supervise, trouble-shoot, blah blah – AND, if your worker can’t make it (for any number of very human reasons) they can send someone else, if that’s what you want.
The good news is that you’re out from under background checks and training and PAYROLL, and almost always have access to a substitute, if need be. The bad news? – They aren’t free.
(NOTE: Some of us qualify for Medicaid-funded in-home care programs, where this kind of help might actually be “free,” assuming we qualify financially, etc. ad infinitum, but we’re not going there today, so let’s go back to the…)
…bad news: They aren’t free.
But, allow me to observe that plumbers, carpenters, electricians and professional geeks are almost never “free,” either (unless they’re married to your daughter or son or…). Never heard of these? OK, here’s the list.
For Grays Harbor:
- Coastal Community Action – 360-533-5100
- Personal Service Providers – 360-538-1540 (1-866-538-1540)
- Korean Women’s Association – 360-637-8740
- Catholic Community Services – 360-637-8784
- Comfort Keepers – 360-742-3773
- ResCare HomeCare – 360-532-0851
In north Pacific County:
- Coastal Community Action – 360-533-5100
- Catholic Community Services – 360-637-8784
In south Pacific County:
- Coastal Community Action – 360-642-3990
- Catholic Community Services – 1-877-870-1582
- Assured Home Health & In-Home Care – 1-800-833-9404
- Visiting Angels – 360-892-4442
- Personal Service Providers – 360-642-3483
Now, here’s what I’d do, if it were me or mine: I’d begin with making a list of what I honestly need (or want) help with, and how often I need or want it; then, I’d call every single agency in my area and ask:
- What their hourly rate is?
- Do they have a “minimum,” meaning will they only come in for two or more hours at a time, or…?
- Do they provide 24-hour care (IF that’s something I need)?
- Weekend service available? (It almost always is)
- When could they start and what’s the process? –
…which usually means something like a supervisor comes to your home, does an assessment (in other words, the list you made), works up a plan, probably completes a pile of paperwork, then goes away and makes things happen.
And once I had all that info on all those agencies, I’d prioritize one or two (perhaps, based to some degree on cost), call them and get things going. IF I knew someone who had used some particular agency in the past and loved them (or, HATED them!), I’d pay attention to that.
NOTE: There are certainly differences between agencies – Cost, how they operate, etc. – But, in the end, the MOST important thing is the comfort level you have (the RELATIONSHIP you develop) with particular aide(s) who are actually helping you: Do you feel SAFE? Is she/he someone you can stand to have around (maybe, even helping you with some very PERSONAL care)? Do they know what they’re doing? Do they listen to you when you provide direction/supervision? So, add one more thing to that list of questions you asked every agency you called:
“Can I interview prospective aides BEFORE they start working in my home?”
I know: Many of us are still tripping over the fact that we’d actually have to pay for this, and we will; and, of course, we have to pay attention to our finances and budgets, so perhaps you’ll need to shorten that original list of stuff that you need/want help with, but I’ll tell you this (again):
If you – WE! – Honestly need help, then we honestly need help! And not getting it will very likely take us down a path to a MUCH more expensive outcome (Medical bills? Hospital bills? Residential facilities?). I know that homecare agencies are not (and cannot be) the magic answer for everyone, but I want you to know they exist. And I want you to remember this:
Pride cometh before a fall – Right before!
Mark Harvey is the director of Information and Assistance for Olympic Area Agency on Aging. He can be reached at harvemb@dshs.wa.gov or 532-0520 in Aberdeen, (360) 942-2177 in Raymond or (360) 642-3634. FACEBOOK: Olympic Area Agency on Aging-Information & Assistance.