Can you tell me about live in? Carers or people who pay less rent to help someone with a disability?

[Hellokittymania]

I’m looking into this as an option. I have posted about my adventures with my new home throughout the year. It has been a very challenging one. I am still sticking with it, but we’re trying to find how to make things a bit easier for me. For those who don’t know, I own a home in Greece, I am severely visually impaired, and Have lived through two major floods, experienced damages to my home, lived without water for 20 days after the floods, the first one, anyway, same thing during the second one, and had many more adventures. We have tried to find a helper for a few hours Each day, last year, I did find some really good help, but haven’t had much luck this year. Anyway, because I would need someone to help with some things in the evening, and some things in the morning, or throughout the day, or looking into other options, like somebody who lives with me. I’ve never had this before, I do have an extra bedroom and a big place, And the disability center will help to find somebody, but I’m just wondering what everybody’s experience has been like with having somebody live in.

and, for example, could the person go with me to an activity that I couldn’t do easily on my own, for example?

I am attending a disability center three times per week, and really enjoying it there, as well as learning quite a bit. And yes, I do speak Greek, quite well, so I still have trouble sometimes but it’s getting a lot easier.

The other idea would be to rent the second bedroom, but at a very low price, and an exchange ask the person to help with things that I struggle with, but I don’t know if I could also ask the person to maybe go rock, climbing, go, swimming, etc. I would love to take dance classes, my friend can come to the home and teach, but if I were to go dancing in the main stream, I would more than likely need somebody to go with me. Things like this. And the main stream dance class is from 9 PM to 10 PM at night. I’m not sure if I could find someone to just come for the hour at that time of night.

Hellokittymania glad the worst of the flooding stuff is behind you (fingers crossed)
You say the disability center will help find somebody, so I'm not sure if that means they'll do it for you, or help you organize arrangements etc.

If you aren't already aware there are lots of schemes where people swap short/ish term labor in order to travel and stay free. Some stay on if things work out on both sides. The things you're talking about wanting to be accompanied to, may well be what they are interested in doing.

https://www.jobsabroadbulletin.co.uk/free-or-cheap-volunteer-work-abroad/travel-on-the-cheap-through-work-or-help-exchange-networks/

These are potential hosts on Volunteersbase Greece board, to give you an idea of what some people in Greece are offering in exchange for help.
ttps://www.volunteersbase.com/europe/greece

Going off your previous posts, unless things have changed for you, you're very independent, just could use assistance at times, rather than a live in carer.
If that's still the same, you may do better phrasing things as live in assistance, or PA, rather than carer.

A free or very cheap room and opportunity to learn basic Greek with/through you, are both very exchangeable assets. Also possibly think also about it offering an opportunity to learn about some of the needs around visual impairment and a CV reference on someone's 'gap year' or traveling while considering a career change.

I haven't had a live in carer but have been one (long before I was disabled) and know people doing it. I periodically have had carers staying overnight a lot, and tbh privately find it easily grates quickly.

In the UK: If carers are being supplied and paid by another, you are the client, but can have little 'power' and the dynamic is different.
If carers are being paid by you it's another dynamic, and if care is being provided as an exchange, another again.

Attitudes in Greece may make those dynamics different.

IME If you are together a lot, either you have to naturally click with the person and have shared interests, or there has to be a very professional approach and boundaries.

I find people who are clear about wanting labor exchanges (including for money) other than being seen as a 'good person' doing a 'noble' job, are best, but that may be because they gel better with my personality, and I've experienced some 'interesting' people.

Hi, and thank you for these great links! I didn’t even know about them. I will look more into this, and have a good think about it as well. Yes, I really do treasure, my independence and freedom, and I also think about things like if I’m up at 3 AM and I want to cook, and there’s another person in the house, things like this. So I’m giving it careful thought, as you say, it’s just help with more challenging things. But as you say, somebody might be more inclined to do things like activities, like the fireplace, etc.

it has definitely been a difficult few months, but I am still hanging in there. And it is trial and error, you have to find what works and what doesn’t.

There are a lot of compromises generally, so deciding what matters most to you, and what you would or wouldn't be prepared to sacrifice for what return, from the outset, will help, but yes, lots of it comes down to trial and error, and personalities.

definitely. One thing is for sure, I have learned so much of this past year. I was writing down everything I had done for the first time, or done in general in 2023, because it felt like such a dismal year, where I seemed to be moving backward, not forward. And then I had to remember I did things like cut a watermelon for the first time, a little candle for the first time, I had some very bad experiences last year, but all in all, I did a lot when I stop and think about it, and I got through those two huge floods. Now, I look for a very easy little puzzles that are completely Talk Talk, like match the fabric, and I have finally found some braille playing cards, I’m prepared next time we don’t have water for 20 days in electricity for many days and mud everywhere.