Hiring Help for the Helper

Giving care to someone who is dying at home is not always an easy job. There are physical tasks that can be demanding and there's the psychological and emotional aspect of care, as well. 

The other members of the palliative care team, the healthcare professionals, can provide you with support with different issues that come up. However, the other team members can't be in the home with you 24 hours a day. If you don't have other family members who can help pick up the load, you'll have to bring in some outside help for your loved one's sake - and for yours. 

Decide what you need 

Before searching for someone to help you, you need to decide what type of help you're looking for. Are you looking someone who will: 

• do household tasks, such as house cleaning and cooking? 
• do personal care such as bathing your loved one and helping him or her out of bed? 
• mind your loved one, acting a sitter, so there is always some-one present? 
• medical care, as a nurse, nursing assistant, or aide? 

Job description 

Once you have decided what sort of help you're looking for, you should draw up a job description. Try to be as specific as possible. This document will say what it is you want your helper to do, making it easier to zero in on your search. 

Finding someone 

Often, people find in-home help through recommendations, either through friends, members of the palliative care team, or your doctor's office staff, for example. Other places you can look for help are: 

• Home health care agencies 
• Internet sites 
• Nursing schools 
• Want ads 

Salary 

Now that you've decided to hire outside help, you'll have to calculate how much money you can pay. Of course, the more involved the work, the higher a salary they will require. You may qualify for funding from agencies that support the terminally ill or palliative care. 

If your palliative care team includes a social worker, ask about how to go about getting financial assistance. Otherwise, you can contact local community or governmnet service agencies to see what is available. 

Hiring 

After you've begun your search, you have to interview the prospective helper. Some of the usual questions are:

• What type of training have you had? 
• Do you have any certificates? 
• What type of experience do you have? 
• Can you provide references? 
• Have you ever worked with someone who is terminally ill? 
• What were your responsibilities? 

The work 

When your helper is hired, you need to be perfectly clear about the expectations, in order for the work to be done to your satisfaction. It's best to put it in writing, in a contract that is read, understood, and signed by your helper. Some of the information in the contract* should include: 

• Hours of work expected 
• How to handle unexpected overtime 
• Hours of arrival and departure 
• Tasks expected 
• Salary and any benefits
• In case you need to terminate the helper, the terms of termination. 

*Note: This is not a substitute for legal advice. For legal information on how to write a contract that is legal in your area, obtain legal advice from a lawyer.