[Magdalen] Update

[Jim Guthrie]

From: James Handsfield

>This afternoon we had a visit from a representative of an agency that provides 
>home care and will probably switch to them the day I bring Marcy home.  The 
> >current agency has problems keeping aides coming to help Marcy.

You might consider hiring someone on your own for much more money than the 
agency pays, but a bit less than the agency charges. Of course, you'd need to 
take care of insurance, the nanny tax and verifying credentials -- but it might 
work out far better for about the same out of pocket cost.

I found switching agencies with my mother didn’t help. The aides are paid 
minimum wage or just above, and even with the ones from an agency owned by 
Lutheran Hospital, did not have health insurance. One of the agencies -- a Roman 
Catholic one at that -- the aide was paid sub-minimum wage ($6.25/hr), while the 
agency was getting $39/hour for supplying her.

I don’t know what the rate the aides get in Atlanta, but certainly at NY rates 
of compensation they really don’t need the hassle if someone in hostile.

At a point where I needed additional help (so Albert and I could get away for a 
few days) we made separate deals for much more money but paying them directly.

My Dad had an aide, but he really din;t need one; he had hoped the aide would 
cook and take care of my mother at the time (being blind and disabled) but he 
was insistent he was only paid to take care of my Dad, and cook for him only.

Jim Guthrie