Tell us about your symptoms and treatment experience. Take our survey here.

caret icon Back to all discussions

How much will it cost to hire a caregiver?

It’s so hard watching my wife going through the pain each and every day. She is on so many prescription medications including high doses of opioids for pain. I have to manage her pain meds because she doesn’t handle them well on her own. A part of me dies a little bit every time I see her in pain. I am getting exhausted with this. I have always been very helpful and caring for her but now resents her and is always angry. So I am looking for a live-in caregiver for her from any nearby agency( http://www.diamondpersonnel.com/for-families/eldercare/ ). How much will it cost to hire a caregiver?

  1. Hi Johaan24 ~

    I am really sorry to hear that your wife is struggling so much and I understand that this must also place an additional burden on you. The first thing I would recommend is that you and your wife speak to her rheumatologist about the amount of pain that she is in - because it may be possible to make some changes to her treatment plan that would improve the situation for both of you. If you feel the rheumatologist is not being as responsive as you would like, it may be time to seek a second opinion.

    As for hiring a caregiver, that is a question that unfortunately we cannot answer as it would depend on the agency. You may want to consider checking out the Family Care Navigator of the Family Caregiver Alliance - which helps family caregivers locate public, nonprofit, and private programs and services nearest to you: https://www.caregiver.org/family-care-navigator

    In the meantime, I thought you might be able to relate to this article by our contributor, Rob, who is a caregiver for his wife Lisa: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/thrown-deep-end-concerns-novice-caregiver/

    Best of luck to you and please remember that we are here to support you and your wife.

    ~Mariah~ (Site Moderator)

    1. I also want some suggestion. I want to hire a caregiver for my grandpa and I am a bit confused whether it will be a right decision to hire the caregiver because I don't trust any stranger easily. But I don't have any other option. What should I do? Help!!!

      1. Thank you for writing KathyrnCarnes, the decision to hire a caregiver and how to go about it can certainly be a complex and difficult issue. You may want to ask your doctor's office if they have any suggestions for local organizations and resources that you could contact for information.

        In addition, you may want to take a look at this site for the Family Caregiver Alliance National Center for Caregiving for additional information and support: https://www.caregiver.org/. Wishing you the best. Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)

        1. Thanks for the suggestions.

          Please read our rules before posting.