Carer pay

[Whyaretheynotdoinganything]

Hi there, our elderly parent with dementia needs a few hours respite care at home, so our mother has some free time for herself.

Someone we know who isn’t a professional carer but has the necessary experience looking after an elderly relative - and importantly is close to our dad- has offered to do 6 -10 hours pw to fit around school hours.

They have asked to be paid the going rate - can anyone advise please?

Were in the South East, home is rural so fair bit of travel (15 mile round trip for them, leaving a city with heavy traffic then rural roads).

Elderly father has limited mobility but is able to feed and toilet himself. He can’t be left alone but not at stage of falls etc, so doesn’t need nursing care yet.

Just to add, we are funding privately - do not qualify for any financial support.

Firstly do you claim attendance allowance, as that's not means tested.

I'd say around £12-15 p/hr

To be honest I would be cautious about employing an untrained carer who has no training, dbs check or insurance should anything happen. Have you looked at the Age UK site or a community site that offers respite carers. Homestead seem to get very good reviews.

I agree about claiming attendance allowance and carers allowance.

Thanks for the replies

Yes mum claims the attendance allowance. Financially they are comfortable.

This person is preferred option because the trust is there- they are a close family member, a stay at home parent who is looking to boost income. So it’s win win for all. Our mum is delighted this person can help. DBS and training not needed as she will brief them.

DF & DM very reluctant to have anyone he doesn’t know in the home for as long as possible. But want to pay a good wage to the person.

I should say that money is not really an issue- the familiarity and trust is more important to them.

He had a reablement package post hospital stay (for physical issue that is now sorted) and both DM and DF hated it. They felt patronised and uncomfortable.

Unfortunately dementia only gets worse not better so you need to forward plan as far as care is concerned. You really do need someone who is trained to deal with dementia because there could be lots of scenarios come up depending on how your relative is affected by it. Also, if they were to fall, the person looking after them needs training on how to manage that and what to do so as not to injure your relative or themselves.
There may be some training that you can all access locally to you that would help and I would suggest a manual handling course for anyone who may need to lift or support your relative.
If it's just a short term solution so that your relative has a companion then it could work, you just need to decide how much you would like the person providing the care to do. Cost wise you would be looking at around £15 - 20 per hour plus travel costs.

£15 an hour is fair. We pay a little more (£16), but by getting the carer yourself you’re avoiding agency rates (£20/£25 plus an hour) We also pay for travel time at the same rate. Make sure you’ve got carer’s insurance. You can get this with companies like Fish, for about £50 a year.

I’d go with £15 an hour. I think you need to pay a decent rate due to transport costs / time from local town. A lot of cleaners charge that where I am too due too. Sounds reasonable but not excessive.

Thank you everyone

Yes our cleaner (not agency) charges £20 ph. We had to cancel! We live in one of the most expensive parts of the country.

@eggsandbaconeveryday yes we are aware, but he also has a terminal illness so it is likely he will pass away before he gets to the later stages of dementia. Right now the terminal illness is manageable and doesn’t need specific care, but this will change. Right now the priority is supporting our mum, so she has time to herself and can stay well.

Ah I see, I am sorry. It sounds as though this solution would provide respite for your mum and put your minds at ease because you know the person. I hope that you get the support you all need 😊

Thank you @eggsandbaconeveryday x

We have a private carer for our widowed mum who has dementia.
£15 per hour in the week and £20 for one hour on Saturday.

Sorry to hear your dad has a terminal illness, this may entitle him to NHS funded care. I expect you are aware, but no harm mentioning it.

And I think getting someone you and your family know and are happy being in your parents home is a good idea.

We have a private carer too for my parent with dementia and pay her £15 ph.

Thank you @MyDogandClowns yes and there is no harm mentioning it, as many people do not realise you are entitled to so much more for physical health than mental health (dementia, Alzheimer’s).