Hiring Elderly Caregiver

If you live far away, the daily commute for this kind of caregiving job can really add up, so your actual hourly wage may not be as high as you'd expect. Also, handling all three meals plus housework on your own can easily push you past your hours, so it's best to agree upfront on exactly how many hours a day the job involves.

When it comes to medication reminders and fall prevention, these are actually harder to put into practice than they look if the older adult has limited mobility or poor memory, so it's best to first find out how well they can manage on their own.

From the description, is this a live-in or a commuting position? Three meals plus light housework plus companionship—that's actually a pretty full workload. And if the elderly person needs help getting up during the night, then it's not really "light" anymore, so you should confirm upfront whether overnight duty is required. Also, for the light, easy-to-digest meals, it's best to ask about any dietary restrictions or chronic condition-related diet requirements—otherwise it's easy to run into trouble when cooking.

Whether this kind of job is a good fit really depends on the area. Places with a large Chinese community are easier to recruit in, but the requirements are pickier too; in more remote areas, room and board is more commonly included, while commuter positions have to be figured out separately. The most practical thing is to first ask clearly whether it's a live-in or commuter position.