Many seniors need helpers for a wide variety of things. There are plenty of people who are willing to provide help, depending on what type of work is needed, but it may not always be cheap. Some people have affordable rates for what they will charge seniors, and others have higher rates. The good news is for those who need it, they can find the cheapest senior helpers.
There are many reasons why seniors would hire helpers. Some of the more common reasons is to help with cleaning their home, cooking meals, taking care of the yard, running errands, household tasks, handyman services, pressure washing, and more. There are also people known as home health care aides, who go to the homes of seniors to help them with a variety of tasks.
Where to Find the Cheapest Helpers
While price may be a factor for many seniors because they are on a fixed income, it should not be the only one. Just because someone has very cheap rates doesn’t mean they will provide good services or that they are trustworthy. You have to balance the desire for an affordable rate with being able to trust who you bring into your home. It is important to keep this in mind when hiring helpers.
Here are some places to look for affordable helpers:
Nextdoor – This website is filled with people who are your neighbors. It’s all set by geographic location, so when you sign up you will be able to communicate with your neighbors. You can post on there to see if anyone can recommend cheap helpers for what you need assistance with. Since these are your neighbors you may get more trustworthy referrals for helpers and even recognize some of the people who is doing the referring. The website is free to use.
Facebook – There’s a good chance that you already have a Facebook account. You can find local community groups to join on there, where you will be able to find local helpers. There are some scams posted here, so exercise caution. If it seems too good to be true, then investigate it or assume it is something you should avoid. You can also post on your personal page to ask if anyone has referrals for affordable helpers for what you need assistance with. Then, your friends and family can make recommendations.
Senior Centers – Your local senior citizen centers may have a list of places that offer helper services. Some senior centers even have their own service providers, such as handymen, that can be hired for help. Reach out to your local centers to see if they have referrals for cheap helpers in your area.
Neighbors – Ask your neighbors to see if they use any cheap helpers and if they can refer them to you. Since they have done work for them, they should be able to vouch for their services. You may also see some helpers doing work at a neighbor’s home and then ask about their services. Sometimes they put yard signs out so people know who they are, or you will see their work vans and trucks while they are the person’s house.
Community Groups – There are many community groups around and they can be good places for seniors to find cheap helpers. Ask around to see what type of helpers people can refer to you.
High School Groups – Many high school students have to earn community service hours. They may be willing to do work for you for free so that they can use that time to fill their community service hours. Check with your local high school’s counseling department to see if there are high school students who want to do this, or post on social media that you are looking for high school students to help who will earn community service hours for their assistance. Whether it is helping to move boxes, take care of your lawn, etc., they may be willing to do the work to fill their service hour requirements.
How to Help Protect Yourself
When seniors bring helpers into their homes, they are putting themselves in a vulnerable position. This makes it imperative that they take steps to be cautious. You can do this by paying attention to the hired help, ensuring that they are legitimate and trustworthy. Depending on the type of service you are hiring someone for, you may check to see if they are a legitimate company and are licensed and insured.
While you may not worry so much about hiring a teen to pull weeds around the house, you will want to ensure that you are hiring a trustworthy and legitimate business to work on your water heater or air conditioning. Use your best judgment when deciding what standards need to be used. If you are hiring a cleaning company or home health aide, for example, it is ideal that the person be trustworthy since you are bringing them into the home and allowing them to be around your valuables.
Some companies that hire home health aides and home cleaners do background checks on their employees. This helps ensure that the people you are bringing into the home may be safer and that they won’t have a criminal background. Use your judgment in determining if what you are hiring a helper for requires this type of due diligence, and then, if it does, seek out a company that has done background checks and/or bonds on their employees.
Companies that will be working on your home should also have a business license and insurance. This is necessary because it shows they are a legitimate business and that if they damage something, they will have the insurance to ensure it is fixed. For example, if they accidentally break a window while working on your gutters, their insurance will pay to replace the window, which could cost hundreds of dollars. These things may make their quote for service a little higher, but in the long run, it offers you more protection.
