For the last few months, this column has explored the plight of the family caregiver.
We will return to that theme in the May article (always in the Plus Fifty Section, third week of the month) as BC Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt is coming to the Comox Valley on June 4 to speak specifically about this important subject (Florence Filberg 2 p.m.: Bring your stories and your questions, and let鈥檚 show him a good turnout!).
But another issue is bubbling under the surface at our Elders Take Action meetings 鈥� getting help around the house. Many seniors cannot get up on that ladder to get something out of a high kitchen cupboard or move those big boxes into the garage, never mind fixing the fence!
Many seniors live alone. One member paid two hundred dollars for someone to move a few boxes to her garage. The three recurring questions about getting this help: how do I know he/she is qualified (okay, not for the box moving issue), how do I know that I am safe with this person, and how do I know I won鈥檛 be overcharged?
Meet Laura. Her husband died a couple of years ago, and she really wanted to stay in the house they had lived in together. It is not a large house, and with some gardening help, she was hoping to age in place. But, how to find a reliable handyman? She has now decided to move, as it was all getting to be too much.
In England, municipalities list handymen on their websites and give their hourly rate (and a rate that is lower for low-income seniors). Municipalities their due diligence (record checks, etc.), so the senior householder can feel secure, and also know in advance what jobs can be requested and what the cost will be. We hope that the model will be adopted here. A member of ETA told us that when she asked for a letter of recommendation, the visiting handyman brushed off her request, with 鈥淚 can鈥檛 carry all that stuff around.鈥�
A quick online search of local handymen provides several names with good reviews. Try to make contact and get some idea of the cost in advance (or hourly rate plus minimum for house call) for the jobs you need doing; perhaps you can have them do several jobs to make the house call worthwhile. Of course, many seniors are not online - word of mouth recommendations are also helpful. But, of course, many seniors are not socially connected either, and in this arena (as in most) isolation is not good for your health, your pocketbook, or your decision-making challenges.
In September, Comox Valley Elders Take Action is going to focus on this issue as it seems to quite often be the 'straw that breaks the camel鈥檚 back,' and pushes the senior into a move that may be premature and not otherwise necessary.
Jennifer Pass is the co-ordinator of Comox Valley Elders Take Action.
