Are you a dependable person who is LGBTQ+ friendly and loves dogs, travel, art, theatre, and vintage shopping? Then this is the job for you! I’m looking for a full-time, live-in (apartment next door) personal care assistant/caregiver. Also looking for fill-in caregivers if you are interested in this type of job, but can’t do the live-in or full-time hours.
About Me
Hi, I’m Karin. I’m a middle-aged woman with cerebral palsy, and I use a power wheelchair. I help run a non-profit and love animals, nature, theatre, music, art, traveling, craft fairs, and vintage/thrift shopping. I have 4 dogs! I’m queer and friendly to all in the LGBTQ+ community.
About the Job
I’m looking for an open-minded and awesome person to assist me with personal care such as dressing, showering, and using the bathroom, pet care for my 4 large dogs, housecleaning and organizing, cooking, driving me in my full-size van on errands, and accompanying me to events such as craft fairs, No Kings rallies, musicals, and much more. I will start training my next service dog in the next year or two. Availability for out-of-state travel is also required for the full-time/live-in position.
Due to the personal care required, I generally cannot hire cis men for this job — but I am trans and non-binary friendly. You’ll need to be physically strong, as lifting, bending, twisting and moving are significant parts of what’s required to help me. Transfers involve lifting, and I do not use a Hoyer or similar device. Experience with transfers is great, but I can teach you.
Pay is $25/hour via a payroll service contracted by Medicaid. Unfortunately, the state does not provide health insurance or PTO, but you should qualify for the Marketplace if needed.
Hours are: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 10 am – 10 pm (36 hours/week). Occasional extra hours will be needed to attend events (planned in advance). You’ll need to be available on holidays, but hours can be shorter on those days, so you can spend time with family.
Job Requirements
Must be 18+ and pass a background check. CPR certification must be completed before starting work. CNA / HHA is not required. A driver’s license is required, and experience driving a large van is a plus.
COVID-19 and Flu Vaccines are required, and boosters will be required as appropriate. If you are anti-vaccine (or support RFK Jr. or his orange overlord), we will not get along.
Skills/experience with pet care, dog grooming, simple household repairs, gardening, etc. are a plus. So is a sense of humor, because s*** happens!
About the Person I’m Looking For
This job involves a lot of hard work, and you get to do lots of awesome stuff and visit cool places.
I’m looking for someone who is very responsible, reliable, and hard-working. You’ll be busy all day, every day, working on stuff around the house or accompanying me to appointments or fun events. You’ll need to be at work on time every day, unless there’s an extreme emergency, because of my care needs. But when you need time off for appointments, family, or vacation, that can be planned in advance with no problem.
About the Live-In Role
As the full-time caregiver, you’ll also live-in. Move-in will be 2-3 months after taking the job, to ensure it’s a good fit.
I have a 1-bedroom apartment attached to my house via the garage. It has a full kitchen, separate bedroom, bathroom, and AC/heat. You may use the main house laundry. It has its own entrance on the side and a dedicated parking space. There is a small yard/garden with easy care landscaping and room if you want to plant more flowers or vegetables. It is quiet and private.
You may live with 1 additional person, but they MUST be approved in advance and pass a background check. Well-behaved pets are welcome with advance approval.
Rent is $700/month. All utilities are included.
On Call
You’ll be on call the nights you work. You can sleep, go out with a friend, etc. when you’re on call, as long as you can answer your phone and come if I need help. On non-work nights, you’ll be the emergency backup. If I can’t reach the on-call caregiver, and it’s an emergency situation, I may have to call you. With that said, you’re free to go out of town on your days off, just keep me informed of your schedule so someone else can be backup.
You’ll be paid a minimum of 1 hour for any call-in, even if I need you for less than an hour.
I typically need to call someone in the middle of the night 1-2 times per month, but it can occasionally be more often if I’m sick.
Travel
To qualify for the full-time position, you must be able to travel regularly. You would be my assistant on road trips ranging from 2 days to 4 weeks long, with most being 1-2 weeks. I usually take 1-4 trips per year. I will of course schedule trips reasonably far in advance, and can work around your personal travel plans and needs, but I am looking for someone whose schedule is pretty open and whose other job, if any, is flexible enough to allow taking a few weeks off.
Travel pays a daily rate, plus all expenses are covered, including hotel, food, and event tickets. I do lots of fun stuff, including visiting museums and parks, stopping at wacky roadside attractions, attending Broadway shows and concerts, eating at amazing restaurants, vintage shopping, and so much more… and I am always open to checking out things you’re interested in too. Hoping to find someone with interests in common as we would be spending a lot of time out and about at events and on trips!
Initial interview will be by phone and/or video. Please include a brief message about why you’d be a good fit for this job when applying. Thanks!
