I'm glad she's getting all that help, Donna. I hope it eases some of your worries about her being alone… especially in regards to bathing. It must be nice for her to have the company, too.

I started out working in home care. I loved the idea that I was helping people stay in their homes, and it was nice to get to know them outside institutional environments like nursing homes or hospitals. I didn't get paid a lot, and my agency didn't offer health insurance, so I ultimately moved on to working in hospitals.

The visiting nurse home health aides are usually restricted to personal care, but through elder service agencies they can sometimes help with food shopping and laundry in addition to what they're already doing for your mom now.