@TerryC282085
Thanks for the added info - helps alot in the direction.
1. Keep in mind always the difference in health care and personal care. A person may get a period of covered personal care during some type of healthcare recuperating period, but what you are talking about for your dad in your post is personal care - so really no help from health insurance for personal care for him especially since he is not considered eligible in finances and assets for Medicaid at this time.
2. So you will be looking for personal care ( a personal caregiver or a personal care aid - also called in some places "Homemaker") to help him - cooking/meal prep, cleaning, help with grooming, dressing, washing clothes - these are called Activities for Daily Living (ADL). Sometimes this could include driving or taking and accompanying them to places - A personal care aid does not or needs not have any medical training - the person can monitor that their client does take their meds but should not dish them out. I use to fix my Mom's meds in those little daily scheduled pill boxes and the aid would make sure she took them or let me know why she didn't.
3, This is a good infomation site on general things you should know and consider when hiring a caregiver. It explains the differences in going thru an agency or hiring one on your own.
A Place for Mom Blog - The Pros and Cons of Hiring Private Caregivers
A Place for Mom's expertise is in finding a place - Assisted Living, Independent Senior Living facilities - I do not know if they have any recommended agencies or independent care aids -
This site and info provider has a lot of general info - everything from the cost of a private care aid, to what needs to be done to make sure you have covered all the basis -
CARE.com - Complete Guides to Senior Care, to Senior Home Care, to Senior Care Planning
(see the picture with all the various guides to choose from)
And a wealth of other important general info.
Care.com does have listings of independent senior care aids in specific areas. They have done some of the work to qualify them. My daughter worked with them on "Nannies" for my grandkids - used one for several years then hired another based on personal recommendations from a friend.
I am gonna also throw this site out - you will have to check for eligibility but it also has some good general info too.
VA.gov - Geriatric and Extended Care - VA Homemakers and Home Health Aide Care
You can alway look to the state where your Dad resides - Dept. of Aging - to see if they provide any other general info.
4. Doing it on your own might be cheaper but there is a lot to do to make sure everything is covered - the personal care aid, in essence, would be your Dad's employee - so everything that entails, including making sure that his home / liability / auto insurance covers them.
Care.com gives some ranges of pay but pay is more of a regional thing - anything from minimum wage to $ 10 - $ 18 an hour - depending upon whether or not you hire independently or via an agency.
5. A Medical Emergency Alert Call system might be good for him to have and wear all the time too.
He should agree that the house needs to go through a safety check - move rugs or anything that could get in his way especially at night, make sure he is using the O2 transport method that is easiest and safer to get around with - again especially at night.
The person that has his healthcare POA should be notified if he needs emergency medical care.
Post it at the house - or where ever would be easily found if he objects to the Emergency Alert system.
Yes, he does need to go ahead and assign a financial or durable POA - the person that is assigned this capacity does not have to take it over right now but he and the person that is assigned should know where the signed and completed document is so that it can be used if the need arises in case he is incapacitated for some reason.
6. Remember there are other options if this is too expensive or does not work - he may have to be convinced - Assisted Living Facilities.
Some people do things under the table and some people cut corners in picking Home care - I wouldn't - too risky.
Others will have more info, I am sure -
Ask more questions - specific or general - if needed.
Good Luck - many of us have been there (in your shoes) and many of us are also getting there now.(in your Dad's shoes) So we know it from both sides.