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Suggestions on what to do when maid is on home leave?
Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 9:33 am
by atrecord
Hi there,
Does anyone have any good suggestions on what are the possible options to explore when a maid goes on home leave after 2 yr?
My elderly grandma has a maid who stays and takes care of her. My grandma is used to staying alone and it didn't work out when she went to stay with her children, so she has continued to live by herself for past 20+ yr, with a maid taking care of her. This is the number 4 or 5 maid, and on her first contract.
I don't think that living with any of her children is an option and neither is getting anyone to stay with her, for various reasons, and we'll have to think of a short-term solution when the maid goes home.
Is there any temporary/short-term arrangement for such situation? Has anyone been faced with such situation before?
BTW, my grandma is very old and needs a lot of help whole day, bringing her to toilet and helping her walk around the house, and is staying in a 4-room HDB flat that has one room rented out to a tenant.
tks...
Re: Suggestions on what to do when maid is on home leave?
Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 11:52 am
by straffan23
Option 1: Professional nursing (usually works in 2 or 3 shifts) and provides 24hr service. Charges can be quite steep. $200/24hr.
Option 2: Get one of the children/grandchildren's maid to stay with her for 2 weeks - can be on rotation basis.
Option 3: Really... among all the children/grandchildren (plus maids), surely can work out a schedule and have someone accompany her throughout the day? Home leave is only 2 weeks, right?
Re: Suggestions on what to do when maid is on home leave?
Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 12:22 pm
by cool_hi
hi artrecord,
hope you find a good solution soon..
Just want to say your grandma is already very fortunate to have u as a grandchild who is so concerned & trying to find a solution too look after her..
coz elderly really cannot afford to allow them to fall down..
why i say so? just to share..My hubby's step-sis who is in KL,
allowed her elderly dad(my hubby's step-dad), who is 80+ years old,
stayed alone at home, after their maid's contract is completed in april,
& coz she has budget-contraint, & wanted to send 2yr old son to childcare to 'learn' things,
she chose son's welfare above her dad..
SHe did not employ another new maid, said no maid available..cannot find!
end up, her dad fell a few times for past 1-2 mths, finally hospitalized..
she only told us she did not employ a new maid after hospitalized..
sigh..
& the worst thing is, she sold her dad's house to pay off her hubby's debt,
yet did not leave any $ to look after her dad..
or simply can't bear to part with the $ to spend on her dad..
sigh...
Re: Suggestions on what to do when maid is on home leave?
Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 6:40 pm
by atrecord
straffan23 wrote:Option 1: Professional nursing (usually works in 2 or 3 shifts) and provides 24hr service. Charges can be quite steep. $200/24hr.
Option 2: Get one of the children/grandchildren's maid to stay with her for 2 weeks - can be on rotation basis.
Option 3: Really... among all the children/grandchildren (plus maids), surely can work out a schedule and have someone accompany her throughout the day? Home leave is only 2 weeks, right?
Thanks...
Would you know of any contacts for the professional nursing care? While it is steep, we might have to explore this, if there is no other viable option (and also provided it is available).
I think the difficulty here is that my grandma requires almost 24-hr care, including with her shower, toileting, cooking, washing, etc. Straightaway that would rule out the males, plus my parents' generation is already not young (youngest is 70) and all the rest are so tied up with their own families and lives, that it's not possible to conceivably find someone to accompany her. It is also a case of avoiding extra hassle, i'll imagine...
She will also need care with medicine - she takes quite a few types few times a day... sigh...
Re: Suggestions on what to do when maid is on home leave?
Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 6:45 pm
by atrecord
cool_hi wrote:hi artrecord,
hope you find a good solution soon..
Just want to say your grandma is already very fortunate to have u as a grandchild who is so concerned & trying to find a solution too look after her..
coz elderly really cannot afford to allow them to fall down..
why i say so? just to share..My hubby's step-sis who is in KL,
allowed her elderly dad(my hubby's step-dad), who is 80+ years old,
stayed alone at home, after their maid's contract is completed in april,
& coz she has budget-contraint, & wanted to send 2yr old son to childcare to 'learn' things,
she chose son's welfare above her dad..
SHe did not employ another new maid, said no maid available..cannot find!
end up, her dad fell a few times for past 1-2 mths, finally hospitalized..
she only told us she did not employ a new maid after hospitalized..
sigh..
& the worst thing is, she sold her dad's house to pay off her hubby's debt,
yet did not leave any $ to look after her dad..
or simply can't bear to part with the $ to spend on her dad..
sigh...
Thanks for your kind words. There is only so much I can do, and it's tough cos I have my family as well, and my parents are staying with me (and we do not have any maid). Both DW and i are working, so it's not easy for us.
I'm wondering how I can get my cousins to be more involved with sharing this burden, and at the same time hoping that everybody will be open to discussion and suggestions and not start to pass all sorts of non-constructive comments and shun away from contributing financially when there is a need to do so...
Re: Suggestions on what to do when maid is on home leave?
Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2013 9:06 pm
by koalarie
Hi,
Sorry to use this thread.
My helper too will be returning for a month sometime in April or May. During then, I need some help to manage my two children - one 8years old then and other 18months old toddler.
What are the suggestions that I can explore as both my husband and I are at work and only returns home around 7pm?