I'm looking to help a client of mine with her care needs. I've been her pet care provider for a year now. We've become friends over that time. I've been a pet care provider for over 23 years. I would love to keep doing my work the way I'm doing forever but I am starting to get a little older myself. Dog walks are taking a lot out of me. I was thinking of not taking on any new clients . While keeping my established client base. I figure this would allow me to help her . While also learning to help someone. I know the things i want to do right now to help her. As she is unable to do some basic things as her stroke has made things difficult. She can walk around and do things but her home is not being kept up very well because she can't do it. Right now I would be more of an assistant to her . Giving her rides if necessary . As she tends to have medical things come up from time to time. As well as helping her keep her life in order. I don't think at this point she would need me more than an hour or so daily at this. I also will continue to walk her dog for her. My big question is I don't really know how to go about charging her as her needs may differ from week to week month to month and I'm sure year two year. Maybe at some she well need more than what I am able to provide. Until then though I think I can be that person that helps her get things back in order. Again though I don't know how I would charge her. Or have a plan on how this will play out. Any help or advice would be very much appreciated thank you
Could be the relatives want your client to move into Assisted Living, but she refuses [not uncommon]. Thus, the relatives are limiting their amount of time at the house. It's tough love. Therefore, you don't want to overstep their boundaries if that is the case.
Try to find out more about your client's background, if she will tell you. She might hide such information so that she can continue to keep living in her home. If she is truly on her own, with no family, then you could precede to become her assistant.
Make sure you set boundaries as what you will do for your client. You don't want your client to start depending on you more and more, thus creating a scheduling issue with your dog walking clientele.
To the second person. She is actually not in good standings with her siblings. As she recently went through a financial thing due to her mother passing. I got the play-by-play of it so I'm pretty clear on that. She pretty much has a couple friends and me. She currently has nobody helping her. This is why I want to help her as soon as possible. It's very clear that she is not used to being in this situation. She told me once already this is a little embarrassing for her. I responded by letting her know that she needs to understand that I don't judge and only want to help. She regularly has to go to the doctor. She's currently driving herself. The times where maybe she can't drive herself I'm sure will come up in the future. She recently had an incident where she messed up her meds. She was pulled over because The police thought she was drunk. They took her license away for a bit at that time. She definitely could've used my help. I really just want to be the person that can help her when the time is needed. I also want her to feel that she can be comfortable in asking me for help. As of right now it's very difficult for her. I figured I would book her for an hour in the afternoon every day for now. This way we can talk go over all the things that I want to help her with. As well as the things she feels she will need help with .