Is $30 per hr a lot to pay for a companion?

Gosh, I feel bad that people have to pay so much for a 'sitter' these days. Is it possible to get a neighbor (or senior center person) who has personal references? That's how I got a small job working for the daughter of an elderly (v. confused) neighbor. I loved that job, ...Joan was an adorable, pleasantly confused tiny lady, who I made breakfast for, talked with, & cleaned up after her incontinent dog. (Dog pissed me off cuz he wud jump his fat arse onto the table & eat all Joan's eggs). I really miss Joan though. It was $10 hr job, but I didn't care about that.

In my area I was able to find a service that charged $18/hr. with a four hours minimum and requirement for additional days. The companion would drive to appointments if necessary where I could not with mileage re-imbursement. I told the companion if there was ever a need, such as a fall, not to try to get her up. Either call me or our local non emergency number if she could not reach me.
The companion did nothing medical, other than clean up after a bathroom visit.
The companion would feed Luz prepared foods and wash the dishes. I did not want anything else done.
It worked good for us.

I think this is a lot for someone doing nothing really but sitting, but this is the way of it when the agency wants half. This is always the problem. These people are more vetted, and I tripped all over my typing tongue yesterday suggesting that someone post on church walls and look everywhere for help with driving, and a forum member wrote me that this was the exact way that their elder was preyed upon, and that predators know to put their names in these places.
Seems we are always between the devil and the deep blue as we try to negotiate and find an answer that will please everyone.
Places like Visiting Angels charge about 21 and hour and have a four hour minimum 3 days a week. Would that be an option? They are vetted and they can even drive with a per mile cost added to the bill. It is so hard this. Wishing you good luck. As to the criticism of other members of the family, I know often enough they are merely concerned that the person has enough money left to live in decent surrounds to the end of life, but it is honestly almost more than you can take to have to do all this, things about all this, handle all this, and negotiate their concerns as well. I would tell them you so appreciate the input and they should check out some things for you and gather info, but that safety is prime concern. I hope I learned that lesson yesterday.
If you find any answers please let us know.

In south FL my LOs pay $22 p/hr for a companion who is not "rated" for anything medical, not even if someone is a fall risk. The minute a client "has issues" they are required to have a companion who is trained and experienced in that scenario. Of course the hourly rates also differ depending on what state/city you are in. And of course the company "gets the rest" as they are taking all the risks and are a for-profit business. IMHO this type of service is worth every penny as agencies vet their employees and are ultimately responsible if anything goes wrong. If you hire a "cheaper" person privately you have no idea who you are getting, plus that makes you an employer. We use Visiting Angels and their companions and service have been worth every penny. The only alternative I would be mildly comfortable with is seeing if anyone from your mom's place of worship would be willing to do it (or a group of people, as a coordinated effort). As an elder in my small church, we do this often for people who are not even regular attenders. Good luck!

That is pretty much what the going rate is for companion care though some agencies may be a little less. Who is paying? Your Mom and her siblings? Or out of Grandmas income? It could be that Grandma doesn't have enough to cover the companion care from her SS check. Unfortunately Medicare doesn't cover the cost either so your Mom and her siblings need to chip in to pay for it. We would need to know more details about the finances to advise further.