General Question

squirbel's avatar

Is it too infrequent to request a home health aide who stops by once a week?

Asked by squirbel (4297points) September 18th, 2017
14 responses
“Great Question” (3points)

I have multiple sclerosis and tremors in both hands, so doing a few things are difficult. I still go about my life every day, but cooking is very hard.

I have figured that the things I need help with are cutting meat, cutting vegetables, cutting fruits, and putting them all into containers. I suppose light housekeeping once I get more furniture. I also need help washing my hair and blow drying it, and brushing it [it comes to my tailbone].

All suggestions to cut my hair for the sake of management will be politely ignored.

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Answers

janbb's avatar

No, it is not too infrequent. Many aides will have several clients. Call an agency or put out an ad and look for one you like. Good luck!

LuckyGuy's avatar

That sounds like a perfect schedule. You seem well organized and able to use the prepared food wisely.
Try it for a month. If you like the person you can always ask for more frequent visits.

chyna's avatar

I think two to three times a week might be more helpful to you. What will your insurance pay or allow visit wise? How comfortable are you with someone coming in your home?
I love long hair.

rebbel's avatar

Sounds perfectly frequent enough to me.
(If I understand you right, you would like to have an aide visit you once per week?)
Anyway, I think in your situation (and I think this in general) you can ask for whatever you feel like.
It’s for the other party to answer it.
Poor you, I can almost count the people that have suggested you to cut your hair…

Espiritus_Corvus's avatar

Once per week visits are very common. The frequency of visits are recommended by your doctor.

squirbel's avatar

@chyna I am of Puerto Rican descent, so I wash my hair once a week. It does not get oily like Caucasian hair does, and need to be washed frequently.

@rebbel I am yet unmarried, and although my face is pretty, I value my hair as my prize. My face looks strange with shorter hair [I cut it after my divorce a few years ago].

@everyone I was just worried that my request was too little.

@luckyguy yes! I love to cook and these tremors make being in the kitchen an all day affair for one meal. I use the slow cooker often, rice cooker most, cast iron frying pan [weight] and two. Heavy saucepans the most. I get around.

squirbel's avatar

Why do some mentions work and others do not?

And omgoodness I will have been here 10 years this coming February. It is always great to celebrate a decade on a website.

janbb's avatar

@squirbel. I remember you well! Good to see you. I too understand your question to mean that is all you need and will you be able to find someone for that. It sounds like yes.

Keep us in mind.

squirbel's avatar

@janbb hi and hello! And thank you for stopping by.

Tropical_Willie's avatar

It should be workable with a once a week stop in by an aide.

I took cooking classes at a community college and the instructor was a personal chef. He would go to a customer’s home and prep and cook a week’s worth of food and place it in their freezer or refrigerator once a week. He was bonded and insured, they would give keys to house if they weren’t home. Maybe once in a while, treat yourself to a personal chef visiting

stanleybmanly's avatar

I’m actually astonished that you feel an aide’s weekly visit sufficient. But that hair to the tailbone situation vexes me no end. Is your M S about recurring episodes separated by “normal” periods?

squirbel's avatar

@stanleybmanly I am unable to handle knives with my dominant hand, as I have postural tremors in that hand. If you do not know what postural tremors are, I may end up cutting myself or throwing the knife [search YouTube for hand postural tremor].

My left hand cannot really cut beyond slicing a dinner roll. These tremors are managed by medicine but are not gone, and my hand is not steady enough for a knife. I do not even eat with a knife and a fork; I request my steaks to be precut for me, etc.

This is why I primarily need the aide.

Yes, I have recurring/remitting multiple sclerosis.

jca's avatar

I used to assess Medicaid patients who had a home health (“personal care”) aide, in order to determine the amount of time they’d get on a daily or weekly basis. I’d go visit them with a public health nurse and interview them.

Most people would want three hours per day minimum for a minimum of two days per week but if you want less, it ultimately depends on what your insurance will pay for.

In the County I work in, Medicaid is very generous with this service.

jca (36062points)“Great Answer” (6points)
flo's avatar

There are those who’re only looking for partime work, like 1 day a week too. Hopefully you’ll find one who lives not to far from you.

flo (13313points)“Great Answer” (2points)

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