Nobody likes strangers in their home.  Senior Adults, especially those with memory problems associated with Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia, or physical problems like COPD (emphysema) or severe arthritis that make moving around the house hard, are not an exception to this rule.  Because of that, one of the questions we most often get asked is, how many caregivers will you be putting into my mom’s home (or dad’s).  The answer is, as few as possible.  If you need around the clock live-in care, we accomplish this with two people.  Often this team of caregivers works up to 7 days on and seven days off, so the client only has to endure “shift change” once a week.  

Often times, families and friends try to patch together the care needed without hiring anyone or they only hire a caregiver for the hours that can’t be covered by someone else.  In that situation, the senior adult ends up having multiple in-home caregivers each day.  One caregiver doesn’t know what the other has done, and things slip through the cracks.  It is hard on the person who needs help, and, in the end, not as good for them as having one or two dedicated caregivers who can really help them get into a routine.

Clearly, family caring for family in their home, is always a great thing, but many people fail to take into account the effect on the person in need of care when there is no regular schedule in their life.  It can cause irritation and can lead to many missed doses of medications or missed meals as shift changes confuse what has been done and what hasn’t.