Caregiver Stories Gone Wrong

Many  of the local senior care professionals have heard over and over from families about  how  their parents were taken advantage of  by caregivers that they found via a friend, or a the Pennysaver and just posting an ad on Craigs list.   As an effort to educate our families of what to look out for and what be  aware of we have asked you to share your first hand experiences from the families that you are helping.  Our  talented and caring board member Linda Armas will lead us off with one she heard today.

2 comments on “Caregiver Stories Gone Wrong

  1. Thank you Cheryl for sharing this blog site. Everyday we hear different stories, good or bad, sometimes scary and sometimes funny.

    Now we have a venue to talk about it and educate our clients or share with them real stories and experiences about our job, how we can be of help to them especially in their decision making when it comes to hiring a caregiver.

    The need for our services is growing tremendously and we are not even ready. I support the campaign for the “Warning” signs when hiring a caregiver. How about putting a nice warning sign icon on our websites?

  2. I spoke today with a sweet lady I met several years ago, the wife of a gentleman who is bedridden from a serious accident. She has been trying to care for him at home, with the help of a long series of caregivers found on the website, http://www.Care.com. She talked about how discouraging it was to find good caregivers, as many were incompetent or dishonest.

    The worst was a caregiver who was found passed out from taking too many of the patient’s pain pills. When asked if she pressed charges, she said the caregiver’s boyfriend was so scary-looking they were too afraid, because he knows where they live. She was paid her two days’ wages and asked to leave. Beware! This caregiver is probably still out there, probably working in someone else’s home.

    Just as contractors often try to save money by picking up laborers at Home Depot, there are families who are unknowingly inviting tragedy into their homes if their priority is just to save money. Sure, it may be possible to find reputable help on a website, but know also that many of the people advertising on this type of website do not meet the requirements to be employed by a reputable home care agency. There is also a growing network of predators taking advantage of frail and confused elderly. It’s a sad fact that not everyone who works caring for elderly does so because they have a kind heart. Take time to check background and references, or better yet, contact a reputable agency that is licensed, bonded and insured and does a thorough fingerprint background check and has high standards for hiring. Also make sure caregivers are employees, not independent contractors.

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