Tips for Hiring Overnight Care for an Elderly Loved One

Being able to hire someone for overnight care can be a real blessing for the family giving care for their loved ones.  The loved one will receive the care they need and get to stay in their home at night, and the family caregivers will get a chance for a break so that they can give better care during the day hours.  When you are close to that family member, it is a difficult decision and very hard to hand over their care, even for the night to someone other than yourself.

One must realize that if you do not get the correct rest at night, then during the day you would be more likely to make mistakes giving meds or some other error.

Just thinking about hiring someone to help can be a very difficult decision to make.  You will need to look at your aging loved one’s signs and see if they need overnight care.  Explore the different options for how you will pay for overnight care so that your aging loved one and you can both be healthy, happy, and safe.

Many family caregivers by being in the middle of it all have trouble recognizing at what point that getting home care and support services overnight are needed; most of the time it is because it is so hard to come to terms with the fact that their aging loved one’s health is deteriorating.

When you are a close-knit family, it makes the entire set of circumstances a true heartache.  It seems you cannot do enough for your loved one.  You are at an incredible loss thinking about what is ahead; you are taking care of all their business affairs and your own at the same time. Besides dealing with the housekeeping of their home and your own; when all you want to do is sit with your loved one and spend every second you can with them; knowing the time with them are counting down.

Let’s review some of the signs your aging loved one may need overnight care:

• Are they recovering from a medical procedure or major surgery?
• Do they have a medical condition that seems to require continuous monitoring?
• Do they suffer from dementia, Alzheimer’s, Lewey Body Dementia and prone to wandering away?
• Does your loved one tend to forget to turn the stove off or not locking their front door?
• Do they have strict medicine schedules that will require overnight administration?
• Do they have problems with mobility and cannot get out of bed by themselves?
• Are they suicidal or depressed?

If only one or more of the above-listed sounds like your loved one realize that their 24 hour needs are exceeding the care that any family member can provide.  To keep your loved one safely in their own home at night, you need either a professional caregiver, a patient sitter, a non-medical caregiver companion, or even a home health aide; all dependent on their exact condition.

The Cost of Overnight Care: Options for Aging Adults

Once you have decided what your loved one’s needs are as far as overnight care, you will need to figure in the costs and get real about your options.  The cost, unfortunately, can keep families from being able to hire overnight help for their beloved family member.

If you do not have insurance that covers this type of thing, the price of 10-12 hours of night time care could range from $120 to $200, all depending on the kind of attention your aging loved one will need, the state you live, and what qualifications or experience that the caregiver or agency has.  If the caregiver is expected to be awake the entire time their pay will range from $10 to $25 per hour in Missouri, with the hours spent sleeping costing less.

Using individuals who will perform home care work are a good idea for those who must be careful with their budget.  They usually charge 20-30% less than nursing agencies.

Your loved one depends on you to do their thinking for them currently.  You need to do your best to do what they would want you to do, always remember that when you are making decisions for them that you keep their best interest in mind and in your heart.

If you decide on a private caregiver, check their qualifications, check references, and their insurance policy.