My family is trying to decide on fair compensation for my sister who will be caring for my dad. He has early dementia but not a flight risk or harmful to himself yet. She is asking for a "salary" of about 2k/month plus 20hours / week additional help. Does anyone have advice. It is all on her as all the other kids are out of state but this seems really high. Advice anyone?
I can't reiterate enough though that if she's beginning classes and this next semester will be her first, she really needs to be conservative with her time and commitments until she finds out how much caregiving and study time she really will have.
The balance act that your sister faces will be a challenging one. I can't help envisioning her on a tightwire with a balancing pole - on one side are the nursing school obligations and on the other side are your father's needs and expectations. It really will be that kind of balance act to navigate between the two obligations - and that's not even considering her parental obligations.
I do wish you luck though; you're wise to address these issues now.
However, in Michigan that would require a commercial workers' comp policy; it cannot be a rider to a HO policy. It's an employment issue, not a homeowner's issue.
So the issue of rider vs. commercial policy may vary by state. But if you hire a caregiver through an agency, confirm that the agency carries that insurance, which it should by law.
On the issue of subbing, I temped during some periods of going to night school, but it wasn't as secure a financial arrangement as working full time. And temping, or subbing, can be emotionally unsettling b/c of uncertainty of getting work, of the different situations, etc.
Three classes a week is close to a full time curriculum. Add in the 4 children and caring for your father and your sister will have a full load, one which could easily escalate with caregiving stress. I actually wonder if she'll have the adequate time to study - nursing is a very, very demanding curriculum.
I think you're right that her need for money is affecting her judgment.
Is she just starting nursing school? If so, I would strongly, as in VERY strongly suggest that she needs one semester for a "shakedown cruise" to see how much time she will really have, how best to manage it, and what changes she needs to make going forward.
Parachutists need lots of practice before they're ready to jump; caregiving, going to school and raising 4 kids is similar - lots of experimentation could be needed before finding a desirable mix of all the elements.
There's also the various grants; perhaps she might want to consider those. Assuming she graduates and passes her state nursing exams, she could pay back the funds easily as nurses are in high demand and make really good money.
IMO, that is a very reasonable amount, if he can afford it. There are other things to be considered though, such as getting an attorney to prepare a written contract that covers all legal issues as well as covering insurance, taxes, etc. That is very important. Hopefully, you'll get detailed advice about that. It's smart to plan ahead.
I'd keep in mind that caring for a person with dementia around the clock, 24/7 in the home can be very stressful and exhausting. Symptoms vary, but often the person can be up all night and need supervision all night. So the caregiver gets little sleep. They can't work all night and all day. The person with dementia may also incessantly repeat things. So, I can see how an in-home caregiver night need time during the week to run errands, relax and get out and recharge their batteries, etc.
Even with 20 hours of supplemental care per week, that leaves your sister with the majority of responsibility, and the majority of fatigue.
How old are your sister and your father?
Nursing school is very, very demanding, and even though it will to a certain extent dovetail with her caregiving, it's going to require a lot of studying which could be compromised by her caregiving responsibilities.
If her substitute teaching job provides health care insurance, that would address that issue. Otherwise, she's foregoing the benefits of that as well as other insurance. That's not realistic for someone tackling what the family is considering.
And FWIW, I don't think $2K monthly is high at all - that's only $24K annually, and probably w/o the benefits she'd get otherwise.
2:53 p.m. EST, 27 Aug.
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