Has anyone hired a companion/advocate for a parent in long term SNF long distance?

Although they're not in a facility, my family has used Visiting Angels in FL and love it. $22 p/hr for basic companionship. Pls do not hire a private person...too much risk and no accountability.

Yes I hired a home care agency for mom when she was in SNF. 4 hours on Saturdays to give me a day off. I also used a caregiver 3 hours a night when Mom was in rehab. The facility had no problem with paid caregiver being a companion, or helping her with lunch or dinner. She just couldn’t do any hands-on care that one of their aides typically would do like toileting. It was about $22 an hour if I recall.

Most residents with memory/dementia issues reach a point where they cannot use the phone any longer and it has to be taken away. My Aunt was calling 911 repeatedly saying Help over & over again, to the point where the phone had to be taken out of her room. My mother is reaching that point herself with the phone and needs a care giver to dial a number for her. Forget about checking the voice mails on the answering machine. Sigh. The SNF has a phone so she can make or receive calls that way, if need be.

You can call an in-home care giving agency like Home Instead or Visiting Angels to hire a companion to sit with your mom but it will be very expensive. They will charge the same hourly fee for actual care giving as they will for companionship, so it's likely not financially possible. Google "companionship for seniors" and you'll get lots of hits to find agencies and resources. Narrow it down to your specific area, of course.

There was actually a thread in 2011 about this very topic, you may want to check out the responses:

https://www.agingcare.com/questions/hire-companions-for-elder-in-assisted-living-148828.htm

Good luck!