Caregiver Slavery

I'd asked Baby to work this weekend, but she called me Friday morning and said that she'd been sick all week and couldn't work on Saturday or Sunday.

I called the new agency, American Angel Caregivers, and asked if they could get anyone to work eight hours on Saturday and Sunday on short notice.

"No problem," said Ana, the owner.

But when I talked with Connie Erni at 4:30 pm, she said she had agreed to come, as a personal favor to Ana, even though she would miss a family birthday party. Her cousins were upset with her for telling them she couldn't come at the last minute.

I realized Connie had been coerced.

"No, don't come on Saturday," I said. "I'll take care of my mother on Saturday. Can you come for eight hours on Sunday?"

"Yes, but I would like to go to church," she said.

We agreed that I would do Sunday morning to mid-afternoon, and Connie would work 4-8 pm.

This was okay with me; I wanted to have some private time with Mom while she was still lucid, without my sister or caregivers present.