Companion Care Needed For My Mother - Both my parents could use c...
$16 – $26/hr • Full time • Starts Apr 20 • Mount Vernon, NY
About who needs care: Both my parents could use companionship help. They are living together in a studio apartment in Assisted Living. Theyneed time away from each other, and someone to take them places outside the building - among other things.
Both have dementia, memory loss, but both still have significant cognitive, verbal and personal recognition.
My father's mobility is extremely limited, he uses a walker or a wheelchair. He can barely talk, but can understand and respond to questions. He is incontinent. He is on level 1 care at the facility.
My mother has pretty good mobility, is bent with arthritis, has super high anxiety (we are trying to get treatment), talks a blue streak, but has forgotten many words, has increasing memory loss, cognitive decline. Has pacemaker, some chronic pain/ ailments that we are addressing. My mother does not officially receive a level of care at the facility, but probably should.
My father used to love fishing, boats, water, the outdoors; he taught biology and general science. He was also artistic, did painting, wood sculpture, but cannot now. Used to love puzzles, origami. Read a lot. Enjoyed gardens and nature trails with my mother.
My mother was a big reader, has huge library, but has trouble finding time and focus to read now (dementia contributing?). My mother loves all the arts, loves to sing and do theater. Also she loves plants, gardens, nature trails. She used to love food and clothes shopping.
Neither one of them was much for structuring an 'ideal day'. Both might benefit from someone to read to them, someone who could take the time to make their CD player work and retrain them on it, their DVD player ditto, help them get a couple of cable channels that cater to their interests. They need someone to get them outside and involved in activities. My mother would appreciate a good conversationalist with wide interests.
About the care needs: My mother really loves literature and art. My dad loves science, but has also read a fair amount of lit. It would be great if maybe they could go to a museum. They might both like someone to read to them. Neither one is reading on their own now, for different reasons as explained above. Caregiver needs to be smart, patient, upbeat, a bit creative thinking, get my mother out of negative complaining spiral.
Services needed include: transportation, meal preparation, errands / shopping, light housekeeping, and companionship. ... more
