Do you or a loved one need in-home care? Hiring a private caregiver can be expensive, especially when overnight care is required. Even when you only need help a few days each week, private caregivers often charge at least $25 per hour. That doesn’t seem like much, but it adds up quickly.
Even though caregiving can be expensive, there are ways to reduce your expenses. Here’s how to get the services you need without emptying your wallet.
- Hire a friend or family member to work some caregiving shifts
Did you know you can choose your caregiver? Even better, someone you know can become your caregiver and get paid for their work.
Do you have a friend or family member who would be good at caregiving? Most states have at least one program that allows people to get paid for caring for a loved one just like any other caregiver.
When enrolled in this type of program, caregivers get paid by the state and are eligible to get paid for all hours worked up to your maximum allotment of weekly or monthly hours.
Most people have full-time jobs and can’t take time off to provide care unless they get paid. According to one study, caregivers working a minimum of 15 hours per week said their caregiving duties “significantly affected their work life.”
There are several benefits to hiring someone you know to work as your caregiver:
- You’ll already feel comfortable with them.
- They’re not going to rush out the door to see their next client.
- They’ll probably work a few unpaid hours just because they care about you. For example, if you need a few extra hours during the week, they’ll stick around until you’re taken care of. A stranger provide by the state isn’t likely to work without pay. Even when they want to, they have other clients and can’t sacrifice their time.
- They’ll know your habits, likes, dislikes, and medical history. They’ll also be familiar with your physical limitations if you have any.
Hiring someone you know as your caregiver will save you money all around. However, it will also save you the stress of having to start a relationship with a stranger. New relationships can be tough, and caregiving relationships get intimate rather quickly.
- Outsource your grocery shopping and food delivery
Your caregiver can run errands for you as part of their services, but it makes more sense to outsource your errands. For example, outsource your grocery shopping and food delivery to companies that specialize in those services. You’ll pay less than you would have to pay your caregiver.
For example, Instacart is pretty cheap for a grocery delivery service, and they deliver on Sunday. You’ll pay a service fee and a tip, but it won’t be anywhere near as expensive as having your caregiver get your groceries. One grocery trip can take an hour or more, depending on how close you live to the store.
If your caregiver spends three hours per week shopping for you, and they get paid $20 per hour, you’re spending $60 per week on errands. Using Instacart or hiring someone to run your errands will be cheaper, and you’ll get three more hours per week of services.
- Have your caregiver cook meals in batches
Cooking meals in batches takes less time and creates less mess than cooking each meal individually. Have your caregiver cook large portions of each meal rather than individual portions. Ask them to portion individual servings into containers you can put in the freezer or the refrigerator.
Have your caregiver spend the first day of the week cooking a few different meals in large batches. This way, you’ll have a variety of food that will last through the entire week.
- Do laundry once a month
Weekly laundry isn’t a bad habit to get into, but it’s usually unnecessary. When you don’t have clothes that absolutely must be washed each week, have your caregiver do laundry once a month.
There’s nothing wrong with a pile of dirty laundry. If you don’t want to look at it, put it in the closet. Your caregiver will spend fewer hours in the laundry room and will have more time available to care for you.
- Use paper plates for meals once in a while
Using paper plates can feel cheap, but you don’t have to use them for every meal. Just use them once in a while so your caregiver can spend more time helping you rather than washing dishes every day.
Budget your caregiving tasks
Budget your needs and plan your caregiver’s duties as much as possible. With a little strategy, you can save money on what would otherwise be a costly service.
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