Where do I go from here?

CaroGeraci · ‎10-31-2017

My husband has CHF. He has mobility issues as a result. I am a teacher and a graduate student.

We need in-home help, but insurance won't pay for it and there's just not enough money in the budget.

My husband is not supposed to drive, and we could use some light housekeeping. My husband would love to have a little company during the day when I am at work.

I have looked at various programs and nothing works for us. Either our needs don't qualify or my husband is too well (Seriously!) to qualify.

Any thoughts? Nuggets of wisdom?

JaneCares · ‎11-01-2017

@CaroGeraci wrote:
My husband has CHF. He has mobility issues as a result. I am a teacher and a graduate student.
We need in-home help, but insurance won't pay for it and there's just not enough money in the budget.

My husband is not supposed to drive, and we could use some light housekeeping. My husband would love to have a little company during the day when I am at work.

I have looked at various programs and nothing works for us. Either our needs don't qualify or my husband is too well (Seriously!) to qualify.

Any thoughts? Nuggets of wisdom?

Hi CaroGeraci,

Between a rock and a hard place, sounds like. There are some options but you really have to dig for them. I used to be a geriatric care manager and we had to solve puzzles like this all day.

So he has Congestive Heart Failure? Is he on oxygen? Does he use a walker? Can he bathe himself? I'm wondering how much physical hands on help he needs. Is he steady or does he fall sometimes?

If he is fairly independent but needs companionship and some light housekeeping, i'm wondering if you can do some investigating of options in your community. Do you belong to a church or temple? Perhaps someone there has been a companion in the past and would be willing to accept $10, which is about half the going rate for an agency companion, per hour. And could work fewer hours. If he needs to be driven places, or would like to be, there's a bit more risk involved in that arrangement.

Summer is over but perhaps for breaks, are there any teenagers in your extended family who'd help him out during fall break, winter break, next summer? For again $10 or so?

Could you afford to take some time from work? Or take FMLA, which would hold your job, and be leave without pay, but give you some flexibility. Even an afternoon off every other week might help.

Could you pay for one 4 hour session even once a month? That would be about $80. One that one day, someone could get him up and dressed, help with breakfast, go to a barber shop, quick grocery run, and then home.

Did you talk to anyone at the area agency on aging for your community? www.eldercare.gov would tell you which one. some richer counties have respite programs for moderate income folks. might be something there for you.

Some schools require community service. Perhaps a nearby highschool has a student who wants to be a nurse or doctor and would be willing to help out once a week. Worth a call.

any of these helpful?

What else have you thought of?

Jane