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DocRobyn

New member
Joined
Feb 27, 2013
Messages
6
Reason
Loved one DX
Diagnosis
01/2013
Country
US
State
OK
City
Tahlequah
Hi all. My sister and I are both members of the ALS forums and are helping currently with caregiving for our father who has ALS/FTD. He was diagnosed in January 2013 and has declined to the point of not being able to get in or out of bed, shower, or go to the bathroom without assistance. He typically cannot get up from a seated position without help. He is also pretty much completely mute at this point with the exception of grunting. Right now we are juggling days of care between each other and with our mother who works 3 days a week. We are at a point where we feel it is necessary to look into hiring someone to come in to help on a daily basis. We both have small children and I am a teacher so when the school year starts in August we will both be unable to continue our current caregiving situation. We were hoping to find some advice about seeking out a reputable caregiver in our area or possibly recommendations for anyone in the Tulsa, OK area. Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

On a related note, could anyone help us understand what the typical daily protocol is for a home health aid? We anticipate our mom being anxious about hiring a stranger to come into her home, so any preparation we can give her will be extremely helpful as well.

Thanks!
 
you can go a couple of ways--an agency or private hire. I interviewed privately, but it was time consuming and I was not sure about how reliable the people were. Some people also check with local tech schools for new graduates. I ended up using an agency. they run the background checks, and we give our final approval on the helper. And, if our CNA is sick or on vacation, they will find a replacement. We really lucked out--the woman who comes to us has dealt with ALS in the past and my husband really likes her.

Start by thinking about how much time you need someone and what you want them to do--the daily protocol is up to your family. my cna comes m-f from 9:30 to 1:30. I get him up, she feeds breakfast, bathes him, does ROM exercises, feeds him lunch cleans up the kitchen and makes the bed. she will also do his laundry and change the bed if it gets dirty or wet. She often will cook enough food at lunch so our family has dinner that night! She makes a grocery list for me and texts it to me, and lets me know if my husband has any problems. (am at work while she is in the house).

It is difficult to have someone come into your house so I understand your mom's anxiety. Remember, the CNA is a professional so you mom does not have to entertain her and she is not a guest. her job is to make your mom and dad's life easier.
 
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