ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
If you or someone you know has reached a point where independent living is no longer feasible, you may need to start looking at alternative living options. If there is someone around to help the elder or senior at night, there are adult day care centers which provide assistance and/or supervision just during the day. There are also assisted living facilities for elders and seniors who need some help, but can remain mostly independent. Then there are nursing homes or skilled nursing facilities for seniors and elders who need around-the-clock care. There is also the option of hiring a caregiver so that your loved one may stay at home. Here are a few tips when it comes to hiring a caregiver:
1. Figure out what your or your loved ones needs are – medical help or basic daily activities?
2. Rely on trusted referrals, not ads
3. Learn everything you can about the caregiver and where he/she is from – was there a background check performed, how does the agency screen its caregivers, how will the agency contribute to caring for the elder (if there’s something other than providing the caregiver), is the caregiver trained, how was the caregiver trained, etc.
4. Find out if you will have any responsibilities – are there extra taxes to pay for hiring a caregiver, will you have to buy new insurance, etc.
5. Always keep in mind that even if the caregiver takes perfect care of you or your loved ones, you should still protect your home and belongings – lock away all valuables, make sure confidential information remains secure and confidential, etc.
6. Do not give the caregiver power of attorney.
7. Make sure the caregiver has no access to finances, nor have they been given access to finances
8. Even after you have hired a caregiver, visit your loved ones frequently to make sure nothing untoward is happening. Some caregivers will commit both physical and financial abuse.
Regardless of which alternative living option you choose, always make sure that the adult day care center, assisted living facility, skilled nursing facility/nursing home, or caregiver is as good as advertised. Go to the place, check it out. See if there is a sufficient amount of staff. See if the staff is efficient, organized, and reliable. Find out if the building itself is amenable to housing your loved ones. Learn what type of problems may have arisen in the past such as death due to lack of care or criminal charges.
Contact Evans Law Firm, Inc. at info@evanslaw.com or 415-441-8669 for a free and confidential consultation if you or someone you know has been a victim of elder abuse. Our experienced elder law attorneys handle all types of elder abuse cases, as well as banking/insurance/consumer fraud and personal injury.
