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I was asked if I would be able to take an elderly lady grocery shopping 1 x a week. I would pick her up and take her out shopping, bring her back home and help her put her groceries away.
The potential client does know that I currently work for a home health agency as a (certified home health aide, certified nursing assistant).
I was told that he is just looking for someone to help his monther out with shopping and does not want to pay the hefty prices that an agency charges for such service (I don't blame him).
Legally, I am able to take on a private client (since she would not be from my current employer). So that I am not worried about.
I am just wondering what I should charge him for my service.
How do I go about this and find out what a fair price is (for both him and I)?
Also, do you think I should have him sign some type of "permission slip" or something like that? I would hate for his mother and I to be out shopping and what if something happens (a car accident or what if she falls)? And then he wants to sue me?
I am thinking of all the worst cases because the bay area is notorious for "sue happy" people (from what my employer told me) and I would hate to be in such a situation.
How about the contract/permission slip? I still want to cover my booty. Even when one does volunteer work, one still has to sign paper work for risks and whatnot.
Ask him what he feels is a fair price? I would say calculate your mileage and figure about 50 cents per mile. And then calculate how much time you think this would be from yr home to client, to groc store and by the time you get back home. So if it's 2 hours and you make $12 hr then charge that plus mileage.
... I would do for free. Sort of paying it forward ...
This 'work' comes from the son of the mother.
It's not an elderly neighbor.
Why can't the son do this? Is it because he's too busy
( making money )? Is the elderly lady someone who can
afford to pay? That stuff is part of the equation.
The 50-cents/mile + hourly wage sounded fair to me.
I help out my elderly neighbors for free doing things like computer
support and shoveling snow, but any sort of "arrangement" would
be different. They can afford it. They're all loaded.
If you charge, you are using your car for business purposes, and if you get into an accident with it, your insurance can refuse to pay if you haven't told them that you are using it for business (and thus are paying increased rates.)
On top of that you increase your personal liability--what if something happens while you are helping her--if you are a hired helper, you've got a greater duty of care than if you are jsut helping her.
In all honesty this one is a Karma situation for me. Take her shopping and do your own shopping at the same time, for free. It will pay you back sevenfold.
If you charge, you are using your car for business purposes, and if you get into an accident with it, your insurance can refuse to pay if you haven't told them that you are using it for business (and thus are paying increased rates.)
On top of that you increase your personal liability--what if something happens while you are helping her--if you are a hired helper, you've got a greater duty of care than if you are jsut helping her.
In all honesty this one is a Karma situation for me. Take her shopping and do your own shopping at the same time, for free. It will pay you back sevenfold.
Bingo.
Not into the Karma thing but it's just a nice thing to do . Take her out for coffee, lunch, etc. and ya just might have a new good friend.
The home care thing would require some cash for me, anyhoo.
Could lead to a great friendship, some good extra income, or, if you're lucky, land the rich dude.....I'm just sayin'....
Anyway, I'd bet that she's got some real good reading material laying around, maybe a recipe or three and so on .....
You said your area is sue happy. That is why it's best to work through an agency for this type of work. They are the ones who are liable and who has insurance if something happens.
It's unfortunate that our world has come to the place where you have to consider the "worst case scenario" for every little thing but what if you got her out and something happened to her healthwise? What if you got in an accident in your car?
You may feel that you can trust the man who's asking you to work for him but if something should happen that could change,... and, there may be other family members who may have other ideas about any given situation.
I would tell him to call your agency and ask for you.
I just found out that the elderly lady lives alone and the minute he (the son) found out that I was willing to go out and help his mom, he asked if I could go out 3 days a week instead of 1 day.
I plan to meet him and "play it by ear" ...get a feel and go with my gut feeling. I mentioned my fears to my hubby (about the "what if's) and he told me that everything we do in life is taking a risk. True. At one point in my life I wanted to be a nurse. That is risky business if you ask me. Infected needles, loads of bacteria and diseases, HIV, law suits etc....yet, we need nurses.
So with that said, I am going to go for it. I will do my best. And hope for the best.
Plus, you know what the best part of it is (in my opinion)...I get to take my 3 year old daughter with me too. The son thinks it will be great and that she will enjoy my little one.
P.S.
Yeah, it is true, a lot of people in the bay are (CA) are sue happy, lol!
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what I should charge him for my service. 
