7 ms·

A full-time care taker is also often living in the house. So, even if they are are only getting paid $22k, that money isn't really going to any expenses. They

A full-time care taker is also often living in the house. So, even if they are are only getting paid $22k, that money isn't really going to any expenses. They are likely getting paid more than that anyways.

Avshalom 9y ago
if 22000 is the mean they are equally like to be getting paid less. (well actually if it's the median it's equally likely but for practical purposes...)
nvahalik 9y ago
I'm not sure how "often" but some do. There might be people with special arrangements but if you are like the people I interact with then you probably engage with an assisted living agency for anywhere from $18-$30/hr. Let's take the low number as an example. $18 * 24 * 365 = $157.7K per year. How many people can afford $150k just for care? Not very many. And $18/hr is on the very low end of the spectrum. If you're at $30+/hr that's $250K+ on up not including medical, insurance, etc. IME, caretakers are normally paid out-of-pocket, too. It's expensive business, especially if you have to do it for any period of time.
- nopinsight 9y ago
  Assuming the actual work to care for an elderly with non-full-time need is up to 8 hours a day, paid at $12 per hour, the cost would be 8 * 365 * $12 = $35,040 per year. Other family members can hopefully cover the rest of hours if needed. My question: What are the benefits of going through an agency when the cost could be over 100% higher than hiring someone directly? Hiring direct allows you to screen in person and makes sure there is a good fit of personality and other factors too.
  - slfnflctd 9y ago
    My gut response is, this could be ripe for Uber-like disruption. I had relatives who used home-care assistants and another who worked as one, and the discrepancy between cost and compensation seemed quite stark indeed.
    - nvahalik 9y ago
      It has been tried. That was the whole point of HomeHero[0] which tried to do that model but was thwarted by legislation. Again, I'm no expert but I've been spending a lot of time in this area lately and ultimately while it's nice to think about it's also tough: 1. Scheduling. Finding someone to come by once or twice a week to do some chores and housework is easy. But if someone needs 24x5, 24x7, or some weird incantation of it then only a single person scheduled just won't work. 2. Turnover. I'm not sure how it is in other places but turnover here is high. Sometimes you might not even get notice when someone quits. That's why a lot of people go with agencies—they take care of all of that hassle as well reporting. Also, when you have people with memory problems, there are special people needed to take care of them. People who don't mind being cursed at or belittled. Some people just can't handle it. 3. Legal issues. IIRC, California does stuff where if you work more than 8 hours in a day you can make overtime—even if that's the only day you work. Some of the laws and handling as well as reporting on this stuff make (especially if you do have some sort of insurance or coverage for long-term care)... well let's just say I'm glad I don't have to do any of that. [0]: https://medium.com/@kaleazy/theres-no-magic-in-venture-backed-home-care-8f5389528279 https://medium.com/@kaleazy/theres-no-magic-in-venture-backe...
  - Noos 9y ago
    because you're already tired and taxed from dealing with a senior with dementia or a child with severe mental retardation, and there aren't enough hours in the day as it is.

Avshalom 9y ago

if 22000 is the mean they are equally like to be getting paid less. (well actually if it's the median it's equally likely but for practical purposes...)

nvahalik 9y ago

I'm not sure how "often" but some do. There might be people with special arrangements but if you are like the people I interact with then you probably engage with an assisted living agency for anywhere from $18-$30/hr. Let's take the low number as an example. $18 * 24 * 365 = $157.7K per year. How many people can afford $150k just for care? Not very many. And $18/hr is on the very low end of the spectrum. If you're at $30+/hr that's $250K+ on up not including medical, insurance, etc. IME, caretakers are normally paid out-of-pocket, too. It's expensive business, especially if you have to do it for any period of time.

nopinsight 9y ago
Assuming the actual work to care for an elderly with non-full-time need is up to 8 hours a day, paid at $12 per hour, the cost would be 8 * 365 * $12 = $35,040 per year. Other family members can hopefully cover the rest of hours if needed. My question: What are the benefits of going through an agency when the cost could be over 100% higher than hiring someone directly? Hiring direct allows you to screen in person and makes sure there is a good fit of personality and other factors too.
- slfnflctd 9y ago
  My gut response is, this could be ripe for Uber-like disruption. I had relatives who used home-care assistants and another who worked as one, and the discrepancy between cost and compensation seemed quite stark indeed.
  - nvahalik 9y ago
    It has been tried. That was the whole point of HomeHero[0] which tried to do that model but was thwarted by legislation. Again, I'm no expert but I've been spending a lot of time in this area lately and ultimately while it's nice to think about it's also tough: 1. Scheduling. Finding someone to come by once or twice a week to do some chores and housework is easy. But if someone needs 24x5, 24x7, or some weird incantation of it then only a single person scheduled just won't work. 2. Turnover. I'm not sure how it is in other places but turnover here is high. Sometimes you might not even get notice when someone quits. That's why a lot of people go with agencies—they take care of all of that hassle as well reporting. Also, when you have people with memory problems, there are special people needed to take care of them. People who don't mind being cursed at or belittled. Some people just can't handle it. 3. Legal issues. IIRC, California does stuff where if you work more than 8 hours in a day you can make overtime—even if that's the only day you work. Some of the laws and handling as well as reporting on this stuff make (especially if you do have some sort of insurance or coverage for long-term care)... well let's just say I'm glad I don't have to do any of that. [0]: https://medium.com/@kaleazy/theres-no-magic-in-venture-backed-home-care-8f5389528279 https://medium.com/@kaleazy/theres-no-magic-in-venture-backe...
- Noos 9y ago
  because you're already tired and taxed from dealing with a senior with dementia or a child with severe mental retardation, and there aren't enough hours in the day as it is.