I am in a furtunate position of have a house next door

[robertk]

We are both in our mid seventies and my wife has early signs of vascular dementia, we usually let the house next door, (our pension top up) it is empty at the moment and I am wondering if anyone else has used this situation to gain help, both around the garden and home but more important help with my wife if she gets worse. It sounds logical but finding someone trustworthy may be another matter, any thoughts please

 

[Champers]

I can’t offer any business experience on this but from a practical point of view, it might make perfect sense. I‘m assuming that you are planning to have a reciprocal arrangement where a full time carer lives next door with either a reduced or rent free option in exchange for help with the practicalities? Providing you have a way of vetting any applicants and ensuring they have suitable clearances, it would be a good way of bypassing the exorbitant fees the agencies charge. When my MIL was receiving home care, we did talk about advertising privately for a suitable candidate. I would always rather have paid a good individual a decent salary rather than see an agency cream charge huge amounts whilst paying their employees barely a minimum wage.
I would suggest you seek professional advice to draw up contracts if you go down this route however, as employee law can be a minefield.

 

[Duggies-girl]

I agree seek professional advice first but how lovely it would be to to have someone trustworthy living next door who could give you a couple of days or nights off every week and even the odd weekend away.

 

[DesperateofDevon]

I can’t offer any business experience on this but from a practical point of view, it might make perfect sense. I‘m assuming that you are planning to have a reciprocal arrangement where a full time carer lives next door with either a reduced or rent free option in exchange for help with the practicalities? Providing you have a way of vetting any applicants and ensuring they have suitable clearances, it would be a good way of bypassing the exorbitant fees the agencies charge. When my MIL was receiving home care, we did talk about advertising privately for a suitable candidate. I would always rather have paid a good individual a decent salary rather than see an agency cream charge huge amounts whilst paying their employees barely a minimum wage.
I would suggest you seek professional advice to draw up contracts if you go down this route however, as employee law can be a minefield.

The Lady magazine has live in help adverts with qualified staff, or it did when I was at the Drs last week- I don’t remember how old a copy it was though.

 

[robertk]

Thank you for the feed back, all info is useful, I tried the Lady Magazine and yes they do advertise along these lines of offering separate accommodation and so that has encouraged me to alter my advert, drastically reducing the cost of rental for this detached house but only for a caring couple plus up to 2 children, we will see what that brings in, thank you all again

 

[robertk]

Wow, it worked, we now have a young family, the mother is a care worker and the dad is a gardener, sounds almost too good to be true, we just now need to make it all fit together so that everyone in the relationship are happy

 

[Duggies-girl]

Wow, it worked, we now have a young family, the mother is a care worker and the dad is a gardener, sounds almost too good to be true, we just now need to make it all fit together so that everyone in the relationship are happy

Brilliant, I am so pleased for you @robertk Hope it all works out well.

 

[robertk]

Brilliant, I am so pleased for you @robertk Hope it all works out well.

thank you so much