There are basically four types of caregiver:  a skilled nurse (handles taking and monitoring vital signs, wound care, dispensing medications); a home health aide (bathroom assistance, bathing, eating); a home care helper (housekeeping); and a companion (transportation to appointments, meal preparation, visiting, light housekeeping).  If you’re going with an agency for help, you may want to choose one that provides all four categories just to give yourself more alternatives in case your situation changes.  Be mindful that pricing varies depending on the caregiver’s level of experience and the time of day that caregiver is needed.  For example, a skilled nurse is more expensive than a home care helper, and overnight help is more expensive than daytime help.  Here are some factors you’ll need to consider:

• Can you get a doctor to order some skilled-nursing assistance?  If so, Medicare or some other types of insurance may cover part of the cost.
• Do you need someone to administer medications?
• Is your parent incontinent?
• Do you need someone to bathe your parent?
• Does your parent need help getting from a wheelchair to bed?
• Does your parent need meals prepared?  Housekeeping?  Laundry?
• Are you looking for a part-time companion, someone scheduled to be there on a regular basis?  Or do you need a full-time, live-in companion?
• Do you need someone to drive your parent to a doctor's appointment?  Run errands?  Take your parent to the grocery store?
• Do you need someone to sit at the hospital or rehab center to provide more personalized care?  This was suggested to us when our dad kept falling out of bed and/or pulling at his IVs.
• If you need someone there all night, do they need to be awake all night or just there in case something comes up?

 
Check out The Genworth 2015 Cost of Care Survey, it provides average costs for care by state.