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Asking Friends for Caregiving Assistance
In the past I have hired friends as part-time caregivers, and mostly they were responsible for driving me to and from campus when I was still in college. I’d still be open to it today, but most of my friends have also graduated and are working full-time jobs. I still ask friends to drive me often, and I always do things like pay for their lunch or dinner as thanks. Just the other day I asked my friend Lucas to drive me to and from physical therapy while he was still in town, and I bought him lunch. It was nice as it gave my Mom a break.
I’m fortunate to have a large network of friends, and I know a lot of people who offer to help me on a regular basis. I guess it’s the perks of being an extrovert. And again, it helps to offer friends something in return if you’re going to ask them for favors and/or regular caregiving assistance.
What about you all? Have you hired friends as caregivers in some capacity? What was the experience like?
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2 Replies
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To be honest I’ve avoided hiring friends as caregivers. I’d rather keep that separate. With that being said, many caregivers have become friends, just the nature of the job. In addition I’ve had friends and neighbors who are willing to do favors in a pinch. For example I don’t hesitate to call the neighbor if the annoying low battery beep sounds on my smoke alarm, or if my printer gets jammed and I need the document asap. I try to spread it around, so as to not be an annoyance. Of course I always keep them in mind when holidays roll around.
Are you comfortable asking friends to help with positioning or helping put on a coat or something? My Mom and PCA’s know how to to it best, but on occasion when they aren’t around I’ve had friends offer. I usually say I’m good, even if I’m not. When I have accepted their offers I’ve ended up with twisted sleeves or something. What do you do in those types of situations?
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I understand wanting to keep friends and caregiving separate, and I only have a select few friends who have ever helped me with things like a urinal or something like that. Still, it’s nice to have those friends who I can depend on when I need help.
That’s a good question about things like helping with clothes and making sure your arms don’t get caught or anything. I’d say just use your best judgment there and only pick people who are trustworthy and who will listen to you. I went swimming with a close friend a few months ago, and she was great about listening to me the whole time. I’ve also only had a select few besides my family and caregivers who have ever lifted me. You know which friends are capable of something like that and which ones aren’t.
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