24/7 Home care needed

SpicyNoodle

Hello everyone,

I am looking for a 24/7 home care support service, to care for an elderly person with severe mobility problems. The person will require, cleaning (hoist training required), food to be cooked daily (able to feed self) and will require help to dress morning and night.

Is there any service that someone here has used and would recommend?

What price did you have to pay and what was the service like?

Kind regards,
SpicyNoodle

RainyDay

I haven't used any of the nursing agencies, but I'd imagine that this kind of service would be very expensive, particularly if it is to continue indefinitely into the future. When 24/7 care is needed, many families start thinking about options for nursing homes.

Have you checked with local HSE to see what kind of supports they will provide in the home?

SpicyNoodle

RainyDay wrote: »

I haven't used any of the nursing agencies, but I'd imagine that this kind of service would be very expensive, particularly if it is to continue indefinitely into the future. When 24/7 care is needed, many families start thinking about options for nursing homes.

Have you checked with local HSE to see what kind of supports they will provide in the home?

Hey Rainy and thanks for your reply.

We have looked into this and the HSE don't seem to be offering much if anything at all. We are at present trying to get a hoist and the house set up. We know that the cost of this is going to be expensive and a property is going to be sold if needed.

At present he's in a nursing home, if he decides to stay 24/7 care will not be required. We are looking into all supports just in case he wants to leave the nursing home.

Currently we have gotten quotes from €1000-1700 a week. This is going to be expensive and will need great consideration. Hope that we can find a cheaper way than what we currently have. We really feel it better to have the person we love so dearly spend the rest of his time at home.

Kind regards,
SpicyNoodle

ebbstachio

Hi there,

There are a lot of home care companies located in Dublin. I have seen about 5 or 6 set up here in the past year alone. 24/7 live in care is an expensive option , but you should know that Income Tax Relief is avaiable of up to 42% of the cost of these services.

Try this website www.seniorcare.ie which lists services for older people including Home Care companies. You can see details of each company to find out which one may be best for your needs.

There is also a Home Care Grant that can be applied for from the HSE. You should ask them about this, in case your loved one may be eligible.

I hope this helps, and you find what you are looking for.

snorlax

You should get the hoist provided for you free of charge by the health board and will need to undergoe an assessment to ensure a suituable one with suituable slings are given to you, The hoist company are given money by the health board to provide annual servicing to the hoist.

The health board does provide limited homehelp care help through the PHN but nothing even near 24/7. You may be able to get someone if you advertise privately for them for about a tenner an hour although you'd want to check their able to do moving and handling..I hope you have a level access shower in place because moving and handling out of a bath can be pretty tough for a carer's back even with a bathlift in place. The carer should be good with working with a wheelchair too eg going over ramps/ steps etc.

cwps

Looking for a homecare agency in the Monaghan area. Any idea which is a good agency and how much should I expect to pay

cathy01

Hi, if you contact SarahMc Nally on 01-8020484,
she provides advocaey support , free of charge and if she can help you out in anyway.She will.

HTH,Cathy

ps.Her position is Funded by Friends of Autism and ADHD, Skerries and Balbriggan.

cwps

thanks for the help Cathy

panda100

snorlax wrote: »

You may be able to get someone if you advertise privately for them for about a tenner an hour although you'd want to check their able to do moving and handling.

Personally, I think thats a much better way of sourcing a decent carer than through an agency. Maybe place an advert on the FAS website?
You will be able to negotiate pay with an individual a lot easier that with a company.
Basic rate of pay for an individual carer is around €9.50 whereas with a homecare company its approx €12. I much prefer working as an independent carer rather than through a company, as its gives me more freedom to find a client that I will be really suited to.

Also, I question the skills and experience of those hired by homecare agency's such as Comfort Keepers. I am someone who has extensive experience working with people with disabilities, with qualifications coming out me ears While looking for work last January, the responses I got from many of the homecare agencys was that I was too experienced for senior home care.

The one company I would recommend is Caremark. I know people who've had very good experiences with them.http://www.caremark.ie/

SerialComplaint

panda100 wrote: »

Personally, I think thats a much better way of sourcing a decent carer than through an agency. Maybe place an advert on the FAS website?
You will be able to negotiate pay with an individual a lot easier that with a company.
Basic rate of pay for an individual carer is around €9.50 whereas with a homecare company its approx €12. I much prefer working as an independent carer rather than through a company, as its gives me more freedom to find a client that I will be really suited to.

Anyone who takes on a carer directly would need to be very conscious of their tax, legal and safety obligations as an employer. It is a whole new ballgame. That's really where the €2 per hour difference goes (along with a bit of profit for the agency of course).

sweet jeebus

Hi -

I'm located in Waterford & we use a company called Home Instead Senior Care to take of my mother. She has dementia. She doesn't require care 24/7 as we can provide some we also get help from the HSE and the Alzheimers society. I have to say the care we get from Home Instead Senior Care is excellent - the carers are great. We looked at going down the route of hiring somebody ourselves but felt that there was too much to it - i.e. tax, PRSI, insurance, garda checks etc.. Using a company like this all that responsibilty falls with them. We were assured (esp. given Mams condition!) from the get go that if we required any changes to staff etc. they could be made. They also carry out regular checks with staff etc. to ensure things are going as they should. They are a franchise and are located around the country. One thing that helps with the cost is the tax relief that's available for private care (every little helps!!)

circlesquare

I have had personal dealings with a company called Bluebird care in Dublin, I have been a carer myself for a family member for many years and worked with carers coming in and out of our home so I can recognise a good carer. One thing I like about Bluebird is that they follow UK standards as surprisingly we have no min standards here, they garda vet and really check their staff first, you can also get tax relief, and most importantly their carers and staff are excellent. They really are professional and contactable 24/7, great in an emergency..
the other companies are very good but they dont all follow uk standards, garda vet or have an on call 24/7 service.
just my opinion

SerialComplaint

circlesquare wrote: »

I have had personal dealings with a company called Bluebird care in Dublin, I have been a carer myself for a family member for many years and worked with carers coming in and out of our home so I can recognise a good carer. One thing I like about Bluebird is that they follow UK standards as surprisingly we have no min standards here, they garda vet and really check their staff first, you can also get tax relief, and most importantly their carers and staff are excellent. They really are professional and contactable 24/7, great in an emergency..
the other companies are very good but they dont all follow uk standards, garda vet or have an on call 24/7 service.
just my opinion

Posts with such gushing praise for any particular service provider from first-time posters may well be treated with some suspicion.

circlesquare

From looking at some of the other posts about homecare, I wouldnt call my response "gushing praise", I have been a carer myself at home and have used this company, they are good, end of.
This is very offputting to someone who has viewed this site alot but only registerd now. Do I have to sensor my threads for 6 months before I can give an honest opinion??

SerialComplaint

circlesquare wrote: »

Do I have to sensor my threads for 6 months before I can give an honest opinion??

You can do what you like, of course. I'm just telling you how many viewers (including myself) would view a first-time post that gives a gushing recommendation for a particular commercial service provider. Maybe you'd consider contributing to the boards.ie community by helping out some other posters with non-commercial help, and perhaps then your recommendation might carry more credibility.

circlesquare

i will absolutly respond to other peoples queries once i have become acustomed to using this website, as you stated yourself I am a new user, this area particularly interests me as it is close to home, thats why i came here first!!

pog it

circlesquare wrote: »

i will absolutly respond to other peoples queries once i have become acustomed to using this website, as you stated yourself I am a new user, this area particularly interests me as it is close to home, thats why i came here first!!

And yet you haven't posted since 2011!

looksee

Mod: This thread is now very much out of date and is being closed. If you wish to discuss home care or any other topic please feel free to start another thread.