Live in care customary fees and expenses

Thank you for the quick responses. The person is private, not from an agency. And she is the one that set her price that we agreed to, and we added $700 per month to her base, to cover food, gas and expenses to that. She is not happy with that. Which is why I posed the question to the group. I am having Internet installed, as I do agree it should be a basic part of a household these days.
I think I will axe the $700 basic additional amount, and go back to her original base, plus have her complete an expense report to be reimbursed. At least that way I can track the receipts.

I'm independent caregiver,I do currently charge $260 for 24 hours a day. My client has a long term care insurance for life..... Most important thing is my client and her family are very happy with my services. I work for 4days and another caregiver from agency works 3 days. I provide transportation for all her appointments whenever she needs it.

It is difficult to answer the question without knowing how fair the salary is. And, of course, the amount of a fair salary would differ around the country. A good salary in MS could be a terrible salary in NY. Personally, I would not quibble internet, because it is important in locating resources for your parent. It is also important to give the caregiver something she enjoys. That is not trivial, because she is unable to leave the house to entertain herself as most people can.

About gas -- I think having the caregiver keep track of the miles used to transport your mother, then paying the going rate per mile is a fine thing to do. Personal use of her car, of course, would be paid by her.

I think your caregiver's request are understandable. Internet is no longer just a luxury, and most companies do reimburse for use of a personal vehicle. Do you feel your caregiver is costing too much? If so, you may want to contact an agency to see if you can hire one for less.

Is the caregiver you are considering from an agency? Has this individual ever done this before? I had a live-in for my Mom for 3 months last year. She came from an agency, price was set and I know she didn't get the entire amount. We were expected to provide food, as well as her living in my Mom's place. I gave her a small gift card for her birthday (less than a month from her start date). And, I gave her a break when I visited and told her she could take a few hours off. For her birthday, we made arrangements and gave her 12 hours off.

My caregiver didn't have a car at my Mom's place nor was she expected to do any errands, so the gas was not a question. And the community was wi-fi'd. If your monthly stipend is fair for your geographic area, you may be happier choosing another candidate.

When hiring a person for full time live in care. We have offered to pay a monthly salary, plus a food stipen. The caregiver obviously is getting free room and board in a nice home, as well as not having to pay any utilities. Are we expected to cover gas charges for the caregiver's auto, or internet, etc. . . or is that just plain too much? Our current candidate has agreed to take the job, yet keeps coming up with more "expenses" she feels we should be paying for. What do others in the community think is fair?