Looking for live in carer

[GMT]

Hello everyone, Just looking for some advice. I wanted to ask if this sort of carer position was likely to be interesting to carers looking for a new role.

My mother has mild dementia which is pretty stable and has been for the last few years. She also has speech difficulties. She is mobile albeit a little fragile but unfortunately housebound unless assisted and is a little slow. We presently have carers in three times a day as she lives alone. She has no aggressive issues or anything of the like.

The main issue at the moment is she is just bored and lonely. She has a fantastic dormer bungalow in the best part of town and upstairs is not used, upstairs has a very large modern bedroom which I am planning on furnishing as a lounge/bedroom and adjoining it is a second bathroom so effectively full independent living accommodation. I was thinking of offering a live in position where the person living in would mainly be company for my Mother, cleaning, going for days out,( buy a wheelchair to make this easier) and cook for my Mother, she has some very light medication to take but other than that no fixed hours just help at certain times of the day and the rest to their self.

Would this be attractive to carers? That is the question and if so what would you consider a fair pay scale for this considering all living costs would be free? Not sure how this sort of position would be seen by carers but to me a fantastic set up for someone to live very comfortably and no fixed hours would be set down so they could build there own routine and live a decent life.

Also where would I find such a person and of course the big question how much would it cost a year in salary?

Any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[cragmaid]

Hi, can't begin to advise you on pay scales....but remember that the minimum pay rates would apply and you would be liable as an employer for pension , holiday pay ( and someone to locum) what about when they were " off duty" since they could not work 24/7? 3rd party Liability cover...NI contributions PAYE etc.

Perhaps you could ring a few local agencies to ask for the going rates etc. I'm sure there will be others who can give you better advice than I.
Good Luck

 

[Katrine]

I employ live-in carers for my mother through an agency. From what you describe your mother's domestic set up and carer's private facilities seem very attractive. I get the impression that you think the job is essentially part-time with light duties. In fact, if someone is expected to be a housekeeper and companion they will not have as much free time as you might think. You want someone who is proactive in dealing with issues as they arise, and who will be flexible about when they take their time off, to suit your mother's social needs.

If your mother becomes ill or her personal care needs increase, then the duties required will change over time. If you are looking to have essentially one individual on a long-term basis you need to consider their training and experience as a carer.

The Lady magazine has always been the place to go to for domestic staff. They have a consultancy service whereby you can discuss your ideas and get the benefit of their advice. http://www.lady.co.uk/tlr

 

[Pickles53]

She was self-employed, so no issues with tax, pension, NI etc., or so she said.

Just a caveat that DWP/ HMRC tend to be a bit more strict about whether someone is considered to be truly self-employed these days, especially if they only work for one person.

 

[Beate]

If your mother only needs company as she is bored and lonely and there are no other major issues involved, might it not be easier and cheaper to get her assessed by Social Services for a care package that involves a day centre and sitters keeping her company for a certain period of time?

 

[Katrine]

If your mother only needs company as she is bored and lonely and there are no other major issues involved, might it not be easier and cheaper to get her assessed by Social Services for a care package that involves a day centre and sitters keeping her company for a certain period of time?

That's certainly an option and day care can be great if the person enjoys it, or if carer relatives need respite.

In my mum's case she would have hated a day centre, with organised activities, and not being able to have a long afternoon sleep in bed. When she had stays in hospital she was ultra stressed by having strangers and their visitors around her. She found this very confusing and threatening because of the noise of their voices. She would sit hunched with her eyes closed to block it all out.

If we had taken her to day care she would not have wanted to make conversion with old biddies who had different interests to hers. My mum's interests were gardening, poetry, literature, theatre, history, and talking about her own past. She would have had zero interest in anyone else's past, or in TV, music, popular culture, clothes, knitting, housework, cooking, pets, grandchildren, or most of the other topics that Scottish wifies seem to talk about!

In her own home she alone is the centre of attention and doesn't have to deal with other confused people. Just because someone has dementia doesn't mean they want to mix with other people with dementia.
Both my mum and my MIL subscribe to the "everyone here is mad except me" point of view!