My mom receives 24/7 care from private-pay caregivers who have been with her for 3-5 years.
She lives in a retirement community which has an associated long-term care facility and provides home care services to residents who need it. (We tried them and didn't like them.)
My mom has also been receiving hospice care since August as her dementia is progressing, and she had some stroke/TIA episodes.
Since I am responsible for my mom's caregivers as their employer, I have been trying to figure out how to arrange for them to get the Covid-19 vaccination. In my state, Texas, they should be towards the end of the first group, possibly in early or mid January.
The retirement community has been working with the state department of health, and has a plan for vaccinating residents and employees. They advised me to contact my caregiver's doctors.
The hospice nurse said that they haven't heard much yet and if I find anything out, please tell her. (That was a couple of weeks ago, maybe she knows more now.)
The state health department receptionist that I talked to on the phone was sympathetic, and will call me when she knows more... That was 2 weeks ago. I called again today, and got the same answer. I expect they are pretty busy, and someone who employs two caregivers is pretty low in their priorities right now.
Has anyone else had any better luck?
I am having the same issue. My mom has severe dementia, and I have a private caregiver who will NOT get the vaccine when the staff at the skilled nursing facility do. They refused!
Also, the facility recently stopped my care giver from entering as positivity rates in the county are high,even though she gets tested the same number of times as the staff there, and is essential to my mom. My mom has mentally declined over the last 3 weeks as family is not allowed to visit, and now the caregiver who has been with her for one year has suddenly stopped coming. I don't know what to do.
Any suggestions?
Since the vaccine's been out for all of a week, don't expect much information, though. Frankly, I'm surprised the states and counties haven't put together a cohesive plan to administer the vaccine beyond 1. Healthcare workers, 2. Those in nursing homes, and 3. Everyone else. They've had quite a few months to work on it, but I don't see a lot of detail in their plans.
My SIL is a Dr in a large hospital. He also already has had COVID. I asked him (half jokingly) if HIS vaccine could go to my DH who is very high risk. He said "Mom, it doesn't work like that and we don't even KNOW when we'll be getting it".
He'll probably be required to have the vaccine despite the fact he had covid. I am a cancer survivor and am not that high risk, but my oncologist will push for me ( and all his patients). I fully expect DH will get one next month and I will not get one until March or April.