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The husband has stage 7 alzheimers and is total assist, The wife had a stroke and has limited use of right arm and leg but is independent. She has aphasia so I do all communication for her on the phone making appointments etc. so I speak for both of them and do all medications and all driving with my own car.

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marcywallace4, welcome to the forum. As for how much to charge for caring for two patients in a household would be whatever you and the couple agree is a fair price.


Hourly rates vary from area to area. When my Dad had caregivers a few years back, he was paying around $25 per hour for one person, he lived in a large metro area. Wouldn't be surprised if the hourly rate was now $30-$35/hr. Dad used an Agency, so they handled the payroll deductions, etc.
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Reply to freqflyer
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Quite honestly most of us are caregivers. We are not hiring caregivers and we aren't working for others. We therefore have little idea what salaries are being charged out there now unless we are hiring. If I were you I would all agencies and see what they are charging. You can pretend you are a potential client. Or call ads or check on care.com.

I wish you good luck.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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In rural Maryland the Agency rate now is $30 per hour for 1 person. I'm guessing it's around $35 for 2 people.
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Reply to brandee
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Some peripheral issues for you to ponder are: if they don't have a PoA then what will you do when the wife is no longer able to pay you due to an incapacitating stroke or worsening cognition/memory? I have read about this issue from other paid caregivers on this forum, where the client loses cognition enough so that APS needs to be brought in and the caregiver is owed money that they often never can collect.

Also, what is your plan for when you are sick and can't care for them (or don't want to expose them to your illness)? Or when you want time off? Are you living with them? If so, this also may not be an optimum plan for them or you.

I would work on whether the wife has a PoA. It would be important to know who this person is. As PoA for my Mom and her older sister, I can tell you that doctors and banks and investment firms are NOT going to work with only you once you cannot have the wife participate in the conversations coherently. She will need a legally assigned representative for both medical and financial and it won't be you unless you are her PoA. In the absence of this the county comes in and a judge provides a court-ordered guardian and then you will be completely out of their lives, regardless of your "history" with them.

You need to go into this arrangement with your eyes fully open so that you don't have a bad experience. Them paying you makes them your literal employer as well, unless they are paying you in cash (which may delay or disqualify them from future Medicaid assistance). Lots to think about, so I wish you much wisdom.
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Reply to Geaton777
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